Chain of Command
by Random1377
Summary: The year is 2021. There has not been an angel attack for over five years, and the personnel of NERV are beginning to wonder if there ever will be one again. They're about to get thier answer. Rated R for violence, language, and sexual content. Epilogue up
1. Restart, 2021

Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Studio Gainax animation, not me. Should they (or anyone affiliated with them) request it, I will remove this story from the Web. Thank you.

Chain of Command

Part 1

Restart, 2021

By Random1377

Daniel Green was feeling lucky. It was his first shore leave in four months, and the bar he had chosen was filled with attractive women.

-Which will it be?- he thought, smiling broadly as he scanned the room once more.

He had been there for two hours (he hated rushing this sort of thing), and so far he had managed to make eye contact with a short blonde, a tall brunette, and a redhead of average stature.

"Ahhh, I love a variety," he said to himself.

His shipmates had elected to hit some of the more, shall we say, seedy bars in Tokyo-3 – opting for the easy pick-ups they knew they would find there… but Daniel fancied himself a connoisseur, and any ordinary woman simply would not do.

His eyes widened as a young woman in a white long sleeve shirt and mid-length skirt entered the bar, accompanied by a man Daniel guessed to be about his age. The man was dressed in a black jacket and slacks that reeked of low-profile military.

"Oh, my," Daniel mumbled as the two headed towards the bar, "I do believe we have a winner."

He watched them speak to the bartender for a moment, trying to decide if they were together or not. The way the man stuck close to her side indicated that they were… but the way they made no contact, and the lack of smiles from either of them, indicted that they were not.

The man whispered something into the girl's ear, then moved off towards the bathroom as she nodded.

Daniel grinned, deciding that now was as good a time as any.

"Buy you a drink?" he asked casually as he walked up to the girl. She turned her head, and Daniel's heart skipped a beat. –Man, those eyes are gorgeous!- he thought, -Definitely the right choice!-

"I am not thirsty, thank you…" the girl replied, turning back to face the bartender, who was writing something down on a scrap of paper.

"Well, how about dinner?" Daniel pressed, determined not to be shot down after only one pass.

"This guy bothering you?" a voice said softly at Daniel's side.

The girl shook her head absently as Daniel turned to find her companion standing less than two feet behind him. "No," she said quietly, "but thank you for your concern."

The man relaxed and bowed (rather diffidently, Daniel thought), then stepped around to the girl's other side.

"So how about dinner?" Daniel asked after a moment. –They're not together,- he thought firmly, -maybe coworkers… but that's it.-

The girl took the scrap of paper that the bartender offered her, thanking him in her quiet, almost sub-audible voice, then turned to him. "I'm afraid that my schedule would not permit it," she said softly, "but I thank you for your invitation."

Much to his surprise, she bowed, bending at the waist. "I… umm, yeah, sure… any time…" he stammered as she straightened.

"If you will excuse me," she said, "I must go now. Mister Aida."

Her companion nodded, "Yes, Commander." As Daniel's eyes widened, the man named Aida patted him on the shoulder, "Keep trying man… she's _way_ out of your league…"

Daniel just nodded, dumbfounded, as the two made their exit.

**

"You didn't have to be that polite, Commander," Kensuke said as they walked out of the bar, "next time just tell the guy to screw off."

NERV's commander in chief turned shrugged slightly. "There is no harm in politeness, Mister Aida," she replied, "and besides… perhaps I might have taken him up on his offer."

"Y-you can't be serious!" Kensuke sputtered, stopping dead in his tracks, then running to catch up as she kept walking.

"I am human, Mister Aida," she replied calmly, "regardless of what Captain Souryu believes…"

"Well, yeah," he said, flushing slightly, "but some sailor in a bar? You can do better than that!"

She considered this for a moment. "He is human also," she said finally, "you cannot judge a person by his profession or outward appearance."

Kensuke sighed. "I guess… but still, there's a reason why stereotypes exist – and the one about sailors being unruly, foul-mouthed woman chasers tends to be true. Believe me, I spent half of my childhood around ships."

"Perhaps," she admitted, "but there is no way to know for sure without speaking to them first, correct?"

He shrugged. "Just remember that people aren't always what they seem," he said, his tone indicating that he was tired of the conversation.

"You are overly-protective of me," she noted quietly.

He flushed. "It's my job to be, Commander."

She nodded, but said nothing.

"Let's try the place he suggested," Kensuke said, shaking his head to dismiss the image of the sailor and the Commander in a passionate embrace, "maybe we'll find him there."

"Yes," she replied, "maybe we will."

**

Shinji Ikari took a long pull from the bottle in his hand. "So then," he said, continuing his story, "the thing grabs my EVA by the head, and starts slamming this big energy spike into it."

The three girls that were sharing his table gasped in unison, their eyes wide. "Then what?" one of them asked, "What did you do to get away?"

"Get away?" he laughed, his voice slurring slightly, "I couldn't think about getting away… I could feel it – like it was pounding on my head, and…" he trailed off, "this bottle's empty…" he observed, his tone indicating that he could not understand why this was the case.

"Next one's on me."

"Kensuke," Shinji said happily, "nice to see you, man! What's…" he trailed off as his old friend stepped to the side. "Commander…" he said, bowing his head slightly, "this is the last place I would expect to find you."

"Sadly," she replied, "it is the first place I should have looked for you, Ikari…" 

"Maybe you shouldn't have looked…" he answered sullenly.

"You do not speak to me that way when you are sober, Shinji…" she observed, "then you are always courteous and thoughtful." She tilted her head to the side, "Are those your true feelings towards me… or is this?"

"I'm sorry," he said softly, "you know my feelings towards you… Rei…"

"And you know mine," she said quietly, "so you must know seeing you this way hurts me…"

He flushed, "Yeah, well, maybe you should-"

"Your mother asked me to find you," Rei said, cutting him off gently before he started screaming, "she says she has not seen you in over a week. She is concerned."

He scrubbed a hand over his face, "Ladies… could you excuse us?" he said, noticing the wide-eyed stares of the other girls as they looked at Rei. They nodded and rose, forcing smiles and muttering that they would see him soon.

"Sit," Shinji said, gesturing to one of the chairs as the girls left.

"No," Rei replied, "please come with us…"

"Shinji," Kensuke said, breaking his silence, "Asuka's coming back from the Germany branch tomorrow… Misato wants to meet her plane." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Sure would be nice if you were there with us…"

Shinji closed his eyes, fighting the whirlwind of feelings the girl's name evoked.

__

"I'll always wait for you…"

"I know… I love you…"

"I don't think she'll want to see me," he said quietly, "we… I don't think it would be a good idea."

"Please, Shinji," Rei said softly, "for me?"

He chuckled, "You don't play fair, Commander…" he said, rising and pulling out a few bills. Laying them on the table he said, "I'll be there…"

"We'll give you a ride home," Kensuke said, as Shinji made no move to leave, "come on…"

Shinji sighed. –Guess I shouldn't have thought that would work,- he thought sadly, -maybe I'll pick up a bottle in the morning.-

The thought of facing the redhead while he was sober gave him the shakes – especially after the last conversation they had had.

"I will call your mother and tell her we are on the way," Rei said quietly, "and thank you, Shinji…"

He nodded. "You know I could never say no to you," he answered as she pulled out her cell phone.

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Only that one time…" she whispered.

"Yeah…" he said, avoiding her eyes, "except then…"

As they walked towards the car, Rei dialed Shinji's adopted mother.

"Major, we've found him…" she said. After listening for a moment, she smiled faintly, "I still do not feel that it is appropriate… but I will try…"

"Still trying to get you to use her first name?" Shinji said with a grin as Rei hung up the phone.

"She is my elder," the blue-haired girl replied, "and deserves respect…"

Shinji laughed, opening the car door and motioning for her to get in. "I doubt Misato cares all that much about respect," he said, "I'm sure she's too busy with work and Reiko."

"Your sister is most… precocious…" Rei observed, climbing into the car, "I am uncertain if that trait comes from her mother or her father…"

Shinji frowned. In an odd way, Rei was his sister – much more so than Reiko would ever be… but the red-eyed girl refused to acknowledge this fact.

It had made for quite an interesting six years.

"Well," he said softly, "dad IS kind of precocious himself."

Silence descended as Kensuke started the car and headed for the Kaji residence.

-I wonder if she'll even talk to me,- Shinji thought, his mind filling with several images of the Second Child.

He sighed and closed his eyes… passing out before the car had gone three blocks.

**

Asuka Langley Souryu looked out the window of the descending airplane and sighed, resting her head in her palm.

"Maybe I should have stayed in Germany," she muttered, "sure would have been easier."

The Commander would not have allowed it, though. As much as she disliked the blue-haired girl, she had grown to respect the girl's strength… and her unwillingness to tolerate insubordination.

She grinned as she thought of (for her, at least) the event that had shown Rei's true colors. It had been two weeks after she had been named Commander, and Touji Suzuhara had been giving her a hard time on some issue that Asuka could not even remember.

'Come on _Commander_,' he'd said, 'give us a command, or something… you're not just going to sit up there and fold your hands like Ikari did, are you?'

Rei had considered him silently for a moment, then nodded and turned to the security officer at her side. 'Have pilot Suzuhara placed in custody and detained to the brig,' she instructed the man, 'he is out of line.'

There had been no further jokes or off-color comments about her being in charge.

Leaning back in her chair, Asuka closed her eyes. "You're still a doll…" she whispered angrily, "Ikari might not be pulling your strings anymore, but you're still just a puppet…"

As the plane landed and taxied, she pondered just who _was_ in control. Not Fuyutsuki… the old second in command had retired following the whole Ikari/SEELE blowup that had resulted in the forbidding man's death and Rei's appointment as Commander.

And it certainly wasn't any of the SEELE members… unless one of them had survived Ryouji Kaji's covert action to rid the world of their influence.

"We've arrived, Captain…" a voice announced, cutting into her thoughts, "there are some visitors at the end of the ramp, waiting for you."

"Thanks," Asuka said, getting to her feet and grabbing the small duffel she had taken on this plane.

Coming down the ramp, she spotted Kensuke, Misato, and Hikari waiting for her on the tarmac.

"The Commander sends her greetings," Misato said formally, "and regrets that she cannot be here for your return." She bowed, "How are you doing, Captain?"

"I'm still mad at you for taking Kaji from me," Asuka said, dropping the duffel bag, "but other than that, I'm ok."

"It's been five years," the purple-haired woman responded, arching an eyebrow, "you may need to get past it."

The redhead shrugged, "Someday… I might." She broke into a huge grin and threw her arms around her former guardian, "How is he? And how's the squirt?"

Misato laughed, "He's good. Had to work today, but he sends his love. As for Reiko, she's waiting in the car with Touji."

Asuka giggled as she let the other woman go. "He must have been thrilled… did Wondergirl order it?"

"Actually," Hikari said, stepping forward, "he volunteered. Said he could see you at work any time, and that that was more than enough for him."

"Wow," Asuka marveled, "the stooge of stooges, being magnanimous… has hell frozen over while I was away?"

Hikari smiled, hugging her friend and kissing her cheek briefly, "Hush…" As she stepped back, she whispered softly, "Shinji's here…"

Asuka tensed, looking around again. 

"Hey…" Shinji said, stepping out from behind Kensuke, "it's nice to see y-"

"Not another word!" Asuka snapped, making him jump. "Can you guys excuse us? We have… things to discuss…"

Misato nodded, "We'll talk later," she promised, "come on everyone… back to work."

As they filed out, Asuka stared the Third Child down.

When everyone had gone, he looked away. "Asuka…" he said softly, "I don't know what to say… I…"

"That's all you have to say?" she said as he trailed off, "just 'I'? Nothing else? Nothing you want to say about the last two years?"

"Just that I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, "I didn't think you would want to talk to me… after what happened…"

"I'm not the one that slept with someone else," she retorted, folding her arms over her breasts, "if I recall correctly, that would be _you_."

Shinji flushed, "I know…" he said miserably, "I don't know what I was thinking, I-"

"You're a fucking coward," she spat, stepping closer to him, her hands dropping to her sides and balling into fists, "I know what you were thinking. You were thinking, 'Oh, I'm so scared of commitment… this way I won't have to worry about it.'"

His jaw dropped, "I-I don't know what you mean…" he stammered.

"Yes you do," she said angrily, "you thought I would be so mad that I would want to break it off… well you know something?" abruptly, she slapped him, "I AM mad – I'm mad as hell! But I'm not like you, Shinji… I don't run away when things get hard."

He stared at her, holding his cheek in silence.

Finally she let out an exasperated sigh. "Look," she said, speaking very slowly, "I'll make it very clear for you, Third Child… you're not getting rid of me that easily, got it? I don't care if you're scared… I don't care if you think we can't make this work – fuck, I don't even care if you finally up and did it with _Rei_ for God's sake, but I won't give you up without a fight."

She reached out and pulled him into her arms, resting his head on her shoulder. "I said I'd wait forever for you, didn't I?" she whispered, "Did you think I was lying? Did you think I would just let you go after it took me four years to admit that I cared for you?"

"N-no…" he whispered, tears beginning to slide down his cheeks, "God, Asuka… I'm so sorry…"

"You should be," she replied, holding him tighter, "you should be more sorry than you've ever been in your life… but don't you think for one second that I'll let you fuck up what we have – no way."

He nodded against her shoulder.

She sighed. "Idiot…" she said softly, "it figures you would fall all to pieces while I was gone…"

"Sorry…" he whispered, "it just happened all at once and I-"

"I don't want to hear about it," she interrupted, "all I want is to go home… so lets go."

"W-with me?" he stammered incredulously.

"Haven't you been listening?" she asked, shaking her head, "How can I make you understand?"

He opened his mouth to admit that he didn't know, but she drew him into a long, passionate kiss before he could speak.

"Mmmmm…" she whispered as she broke away, resting her head against his shoulder, "six months is a long time to be apart, Shinji…" she kissed him again, longer this time. "Take me home…" she said softly, reaching down to take his hand in hers, "you can finish… apologizing there."

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Alright…" he said softly, thinking that she was the only woman on the planet that could make the word 'apologizing' sound so sexy. And that he was the luckiest man on the planet… because she was still his.

As they headed towards the car, Asuka's mind was racing. –I need to talk to Wondergirl,- she thought, -she needs to know what I found out in Germany… about the remaining angels…- She looked at her lover, sighing softly as he opened the trunk to put her suitcase in, -don't break my heart again, honey…- she thought, -I said I'd wait for you forever… please don't make me regret that…-

When they returned to the apartment that had become theirs when Misato married Kaji, Shinji showed her just how sorry he was for what he had done… and in the quiet of the afternoon, Asuka's faith in him was tenderly restored…

Continued…

Omake

What DO you do with a drunken sailor?

"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" the sailor asked, coming up to the bar and eyeing the blue-haired girl approvingly.

"I am underage," the girl replied.

The sailor grinned rather drunkenly, "That's fine by me – if there's grass on the infield, I say play ball! Hey, what's your sign?"

"I do not have one," the girl replied, "I was genetically engineered, and I do not have an astrological sign."

"Whoa! That's cool!" the sailor answered, looking around for the girl's companion, a man with dark-tinted glasses and a beard, "Say, why don't we get out of here and go somewhere more private?"

She regarded him for a moment, "I do not think it would be very quiet, as you are inebriated and have thusfar shouted in my ear three times."

The sailor smiled, pulling out his best line, "Nice shoes… wanna fuck?"

"No, thank you," the girl replied calmly.

"It is time to go, Rei," the girl's companion said, appearing (seemingly from nowhere) at the sailor's side.

"Yes Commander," the girl replied softly.

"Hey man," the sailor said jovially, throwing an arm around the other man, "what say you share her with me?"

The man smiled, "You would be wise to remove your hand," he said softly, "and I don't think Miss Ayanami would be interested in anything you would like to do."

"No need to be selfish," the sailor grumbled.

The man sighed, "Rei… wait in the car. I need to speak to our young friend here in private for a moment."

"Yes commander…" Rei replied.

"Yeah!" the sailor said, "Deal time, right?"

"Oh yes," the man replied, smiling faintly and leading the sailor towards the back of the bar, "it is indeed time to deal…"

The next morning, the owner of the Little Okinawa bar and grill was most shocked to find that an unconscious, totally naked sailor had been shoved unceremoniously into his meat-locker.

It wasn't that something like this had never happened before (it WAS a raucous bar, after all), but never before had the person been shaved, hung by the arms on a meat hook, and had the word, 'Chester,' tattooed across his chest…

Author's notes: the initial idea for this story was the omake – the moral of which is not to hit on Rei while the Commander is in the bathroom… ^_^ The more I toyed with the idea, the more it changed. It went from a simple little humor fic to 'what if Rei was Commander' to 'What if Rei was Commander AND Shinji was a drunk,' to… well, you get the point. Why set it six years in the future? No, not for lemon potential! :P I wanted to give valid reasons for Kensuke being in Section Two, Rei being Commander, Shinji being a lush, Misato and Kaji being married, etc, and I thought all of that would be more likely given more time. But what about the angels, you say? Sit tight… I'll lay it down next chapter. ^_^

Thanks to Ryoma for pre-reading and making some fine suggestions (the baseball analogy in the omake was his :P).

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	2. Rewind

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 2

Rewind

By Random1377

__

"Capture complete,"

Asuka awoke with a start, blinking in confusion. "What the hell…" she whispered, "I haven't dreamed about the eighth angel in… geez, a year and a half…"

She smiled as Shinji stirred beside her, mumbling something about crab cakes and pulling her closer to him.

She let him hold her, resting her head on his stomach as she recalled the last angel battle… if it could even really be called that.

__

"Capture complete," Asuka reported, "I've got it."

"We're bringing you back in," Misato's voice came back to her, "if that thing moves… dump it and drop your ballast…"

And Misato had been… wrong. The angel had not so much as twitched as they retrieved her, and the embryo-like creature had been whisked away before Asuka had even been let out of Unit 02.

She tilted her head to regard Shinji's sleeping face. "That's when it all started to go downhill, isn't it?" she whispered softly, "We all waited for the next angel, staying on our toes for over a year… but nothing happened."

She took his hand and kissed it gently, "Then Misato decided she couldn't take it… it was too much for her." She smiled as she thought of Kaji's reaction to seeing the purple-haired major drop to one knee in front of him.

__

"I can't wait anymore, Kaji…" Misato said, looking up at the dumbfounded agent with a soft smile, "I WON'T wait anymore. Will you marry me?"

"I was so mad," Asuka whispered ruefully, "I didn't talk to anyone for weeks… but you never got mad at me. You just cooked, and cleaned, and kept smiling at me… you were so quiet and sweet… I couldn't stay mad."

She sighed, "Three more years…" she said gently, "we lived together for three more years, going to school, getting into fights, dating other people… before I could finally admit to you – no, before I could finally admit to myself – how much you meant to me…"

She grinned in the darkness, -Three years…- she thought, -of course, once we got pleasantries like feelings out of the way, we skipped straight to the bedroom…-

"I wish you had been my first," she said wistfully, "I wish I had been yours…"

She found it ironic that each of them had been there when the other had returned home from the date that ended their virginity… and that it had been so easy for them to talk about it.

And all the while, they had both wished that it could have been a shared experience.

"But you're mine now…" she whispered, "after all the meaningless dates… all the awkward silences and secret glances… all the denials…"

She found that her voice was becoming thick with emotion. "Damnit," she whispered, "only you can make me cry…"

Forcing down the tears, she smiled. –Two years on Thursday…- she thought, kissing his side, -why are you so scared of being close to me, honey?-

She closed her eyes, remembering the phone call of a month prior.

__

"I need to tell you something, Asuka…"

"What is it, honey?"

"I… I'm sorry… I… slept with someone else…"

It had hurt… a lot. And had she been with him when he told her, she might have ended it on the spot. Instead, she had hung up the phone (after some choice comments on his lineage and mental aptitude) and cried herself to sleep. The following morning, she sat and thought about _why_ he would do it.

Simple loneliness? No… that wasn't it – he had no problem being alone. He often stayed in the apartment while she was gone and just sat still. She would come home and find him in the same place he had been when she left… a soft smile on his face.

Falling for another girl? That didn't make sense either. He was as in love with her as she was with him, she knew this by the way he practically gushed to everyone he talked to about their relationship.

Finally she had come to the conclusion that it was fear. He was afraid of giving himself to her fully, so he tried to find a way out before he was forced to surrender.

It had been hard for her not to go with her initial reaction and just dump him. After all – no one made a fool of Asuka Langley Souryu! After she had calmed down, she decided that the best thing to do was forgive him… and to make sure he knew that doing it again wouldn't get her to leave. Actually, it would – she wasn't so love-struck that she would waste her life on an unfaithful man… but he didn't need to know that.

"Shinji…" she whispered, gently shaking the brown-haired man, "wake up…"

"Hmmmm…?" he yawned, running a hand absently over her back, "what is it?"

Instead of replying, she pressed her body up against his, kissing him deeply. –I won't give up on us…- she thought, running her fingers through his hair, -I know you love me… I won't let you run away…-

As the kiss progressed into something more, a final, brutal thought flitted through her mind, -And for her sake… you'd better not _ever_ tell me who it was…-

**

Rei walked calmly through the halls of NERV headquarters, listening to her second in command (a man named Fredrich Hines, transferred from the Germany branch after the SEELE purge), outline the day's schedule.

"Then at four, there will be sync tests on Units 03, 07, and 12…" the man finished, "that's it for today."

"When is pilot Souryu scheduled to test in Unit 02?" Rei inquired as they neared her office, "I would like to be present for that…"

"Ummm, not until day after tomorrow," Hines said, leafing through his papers, "I thought she should have a chance to relax after her trip."

"Reschedule for tomorrow," Rei said quietly as they reached her office, "she has been away from her Unit for six months… I want her re-familiarized with it as soon as possible."

Hines paused, "Well, there are twelve other operational Units, Commander…" he said after the hesitation, "shouldn't Miss Souryu be allowed-"

"Ten of the other Units have never seen real combat," she cut him off quietly, "Souryu, Ikari, and myself are the only experienced pilots."

"Well," he said reluctantly, "that's true… but the last angel attack was almost six years-"

"You are questioning my decision…" she replied, her red eyes narrowing very slightly, "I have given orders…"

Hines bowed, "Begging your pardon, Commander. I will reschedule immediately."

Rei inclined her head, "Thank you. Are there any other orders of business?" Since there were none, she bade him farewell and entered her office alone.

She took her seat with a soft sigh, leaning back and admiring the Tree of Sephiroth that graced the ceiling.

"This should be your place, Commander…" she whispered, "your ambitions proved to be more than you could handle…"

She closed her eyes, picturing the former Commander's elusive smile… and unbidden, his final words came rushing back to her.

__

"You're the key, Rei…" Gendou whispered, coughing as the bullet lodged in his lung reminded him of its presence, "you must be strong when the time comes… and you must…" he closed his eyes, shocking the girl who knelt by his side by starting to weep, "you must protect Shinji… I've told you your beginning, Rei… your future is up to you… now…"

That had been three years ago. And now here she was, sitting in his chair… still trying to make sense of the puzzle he had left behind.

"The time you bought us has almost expired, Commander…" she said thoughtfully, "that's what Souryu will tell me, I am certain of it." She frowned slightly as she thought of the redhead.

__

"You stay away from him, do you understand me? Shinji is MINE!"

"Ikari is not a possession, I believe that he should be allo-"

"Shut up, you fucking doll! I'll kill you if you come near him again!"

It had been a rough time for everyone when that brief, almost violent interaction had taken place. The Commander had not been in his grave for two weeks… Rei had been designated Commander (much to the shock of everyone at NERV – herself included)… and Fuyutsuki had announced his retirement.

It was only natural that the blue-haired girl should seek comfort. She was, after all, a seventeen-year-old recluse who had just been told that the fate of the world was now in _her_ hands.

Souryu's reaction had shocked the First Child. Why should Asuka care if Ikari spent time with her? It wasn't as if they were intimate, and she treated him very badly whenever Rei was around… almost as if she was daring the blue-haired girl to try and take him – but then when she actually started showing interest, the Second had all but lost her mind.

"It should have been apparent then," Rei mused, "all the classic signs of jealousy and denial… and no one ever noticed."

That wasn't quite true, though… Misato had known.

__

"You told Shinji what?"

"I… revealed my feelings, Major…"

"Are you nuts? Don't you know that Asuka will freak out if she finds out?"

"She is not my concern, I-"

"Rei… haven't you seen the way he looks at her…?"

She hadn't… not until the Major had pointed it out that afternoon, shaking her head as she watched her daughter tear through the house she and mister Kaji called home.

__

"You haven't got a chance with him, Rei…"

"I… will still try, Major…"

Her thoughts turned to the day a few weeks later… the day she had finally gathered the courage to ask Shinji what he thought of her… and the other thing she had longed to ask…

__

"Yes… I love you, Rei… but not like that. You're my sister."

"I am not. I am genetically similar to your mother, but there were other factors in my creation…"

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. It was five minutes after that that Shinji had answered her second question.

As she had said in the bar, it was the only time he had refused her anything.

"I understand why," she said quietly, "but it does not please me…"

A faint smile played around the corner of her lips. Souryu knew now that she wasn't emotionless… though she still considered her a doll (old animosities die hard). Rei wondered what the redhead's reaction would be if she ever found out what she had asked Shinji that day.

"I do believe you might try to kill me," Rei said softly, "regardless of the fact that you are the one that he chose, I am certain that the mere thought of how close we were would enrage you…"

She closed her eyes… remembering the emotions that had flashed across his face. Shock… fear… uncertainty… desire… hunger…

Ultimately he had had to turn away, pulling his eyes away from her bare skin with some difficulty.

__

"No… I… I can't. I'm sorry…"

She frowned slightly… recalling what had happened that night. She had been hurt and confused, and ill equipped to handle the emotions that she had been so long taught to shove deep inside… so she had sought comfort elsewhere.

She regretted nothing in her life so much as that night.

"It cannot be undone," she whispered, shaking her head and pulling her chair closer to the desk, "and now… I know what it is like…"

She picked up a pen and placed it on a pad of paper, determined to push away the memories of that horrible night… but the pen refused to move.

Rei Ayanami – designated First Child… pilot of Evangelion Unit 00… Commander in Chief of NERV… woman… human…

Alone…

"Commander?"

She looked up, blinking hard as she realized she was on the verge of tears. "Mister Aida," she said softly, discretely rubbing her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, "what can I do for you?"

Kensuke regarded her in silence for a moment before replying. "Commander," he began quietly, "I just got off the phone with Shinji… he'd like to know if you could join us tonight to celebrate Asuka's return."

"I have other duties," Rei replied immediately, "I would not be able to-"

"Rei…" Kensuke cut her off gently.

Her eyes widened – Aida never used her first name… ever. "Yes…?"

"Please?" he asked softly, "As a personal favor? I would… very much like to see you there…"

She blinked. "Mister Aida, I-"

"We've known each other for six years… and worked together for two…" he said quietly, "please call me by my first name when we're in private…"

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she looked down at her desk. "Your… boldness is unnerving…" she said softly, "you have changed much in those six years…"

"I'm sorry…" he said, bowing, "forgive me if I am behaving inappropriately… Commander…"

He turned and started for the door.

"Kensuke…" she said quietly.

He froze as he neared the exit, trembling slightly. –Get a grip,- he thought, -she's just doing what you asked her to do…- "Yes?"

"I will be there tonight…"

He nodded, thankful that his back was to her so she couldn't see the foolish grin on his face. "I look forward to seeing you there… Rei…"

As the young man left, Rei leaned back in her chair once more. –I did not expect that…- she thought, smiling faintly, "'People are not always as they seem,'" she quoted thoughtfully, "Indeed they are not… Kensuke…"

After another moment of contemplation, she put the pen to the paper once more and began writing her orders for the next few days.

Though she kept the smile…

**

"Mommieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!" Reiko Kaji moaned, "Pleeeeeeease?"

Misato sighed, straightening her daughter's skirt, "Honey, I've told you already… it's a big-person party tonight."

"Daddy said I could go…" the little girl pouted, "daddy said…"

"Daddy said you could have a car," Misato said dryly, "Daddy says a lot of things." She smiled, "Go brush your teeth… Nozomi will be here any minute."

"We're gonna have pizza!" Reiko said happily, her mood changing instantly, "And Aunt Nozomi said we're gonna watch _giirrrrly _movies."

Misato laughed, "Sounds like fun, now brush your teeth."

She shook her head as the girl headed towards the bathroom, thinking how big she seemed. –Wasn't it just yesterday I was changing her diapers?- she thought, -Look at her now… four years and two months – can't forget the two months…- She smiled as she stood.

"Aunt Nozomi?" Misato turned to find Shinji leaning against the living room doorway, a faint smile on his lips, "I don't see the resemblance."

"I don't know where she got that," the purple-haired woman said with a shrug, "just… one day she decided that Nozomi was family."

"Well," Shinji replied, folding his arms, "she sees enough of her…"

"Don't start…" Misato said, looking towards the door her little girl had disappeared through, "you know I spend as much time as I can with her." She turned to face him, lowering her voice, "And it wouldn't hurt for you to spend a little more time with her – you know she worships you."

"She worships me _because _she doesn't see me that much," he replied sullenly, "if I was around all the time, she would-"

"Love you all the more," Misato cut in gently, walking over and putting her arms around him, "you belong to this family now… Reiko would love you no matter what you did because you're her brother."

"She doesn't know me," he said softly, "if she did she wouldn't want to have anything to do-"

"Charming, isn't he?" Asuka said, embracing him from behind and smiling at Misato over his shoulder, "He's always like this… even in bed."

Misato grimaced, "Too much information, Asuka…"

The redhead stuck her tongue out, "Oh come on, Misato…" she said teasingly, "you lived with him for a year… don't tell me you never wondered what it would be like to-"

"Oh, God, shut _up_!" Misato said, "Eww! Eeww! Eeeewwww!!! I think I need a shower now."

Shinji (who was still between the two) sighed. It wasn't the first time he had been openly insulted by the two… and he doubted it would be the last.

"Besides," the purple-haired woman went on, "how do you know that I _didn't_ while you were in…" she trailed off as Asuka and Shinji both tensed.

  
"_Not_ funny…" Asuka said quietly, averting her eyes.

"Just a joke," Misato said defensively, releasing Shinji… and noticing how much tighter Asuka held him.

"It's… ok…" Asuka said, forcing a smile. But she didn't let the brown-haired boy go.

Misato was denied the chance to investigate the couple's odd behavior as the doorbell rang. "That'll be Nozomi," she said, then raised her voice, "Reiko… hurry up!"

The young girl stuck her head out of the bathroom, her mouth ringed in toothpaste, "I'm huwwying," she said, her voice sounding rather pasty, "teww huw I-"

"_SPIT!_" all three of the adults shouted in unison.

Reiko blinked, then scrunched up her nose and ducked back into the bathroom.

Misato grinned and walked over to the door. "Well hello," she said, her voice betraying her surprise.

Instead of Nozomi Horaki, she found Angelica Bennett, the designated Ninth Child, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry I'm so early, Major," the American said awkwardly, "I didn't think the train would get here so fast…"

Misato suppressed a laugh. "No problem, Angelica, come right in," she said, stepping out of the tall brunette's way. –I should have guessed she'd get here early,- she thought, -that girl cannot _stand_ to be late…-

"Hey, Angie," Asuka said, leaning her head on Shinji's shoulder and smiling at the newcomer, "how's it going?"

The Ninth shrugged. "About the same as always," she said with a smile, "would it be too much to ask for a hug, or have you had yourself surgically grafted to Ikari?"

"Stay close to me, ok?" Asuka whispered, finally letting Shinji go.

As the friends hugged, Misato smiled and began closing the door.

"Misses Kaji!" a voice squeaked.

"Oh! Nozomi!" Misato exclaimed, reopening the door, "I didn't even see you walk up."

The gangly girl pushed her glasses up on her nose. "It's ok," she said, quietly, "it happens a lot…"

Misato contained her sigh. –Maybe if you spoke up instead of just wandering around staring at your feet…- she thought. Reiko was one of the few people that Nozomi would initiate a conversation with… and Misato was sure that it was because the youngest of the Horaki sisters felt like Reiko was the only person not making fun of her behind her back.

"Aunt Nozomi!!" the little girl squealed, rushing out of the bathroom and throwing her arms around her babysitter.

"You got toothpaste on your face, munchkin," Nozomi said, wiping her with the sleeve of her shirt, "guys won't go for that."

"Boys are yuck!" Reiko exclaimed, sticking her tongue out as Nozomi straightened the girl's shoulder-length purple hair (an inheritance from her mother… from her father she had received her impish smile and stubbornness), "Shinji's the best one…"

"Got that right," Asuka piped in, putting her arms around the man in question, "and he's all mine."

Misato frowned slightly, -What is up with her?- she thought, -I've never seen her this possessive – even when they were first dating…- She decided that it must be the aftereffects of being apart for so long, but made a mental note to corner Shinji later, -He'll talk…- she thought with a grin, -I _am_ his mother, after all…-

As the youngest members of the Kaji and Horaki families made their departure, debating what movie they should watch, Angelica turned to Shinji. "Well…" she said softly, looking him up and down, "you're looking better than last time I saw you."

Shinji flinched, "Yeah… well…" he said, avoiding the brunette's eyes, "I guess that's to be expected…"

The Ninth Child shrugged, "Like I said then," she whispered, gazing at him steadily, "it was just that night… no need keep thinking about it…"

"What, exactly?" Asuka inquired, trying not to let herself get upset.

"I found your boyfriend puking in an ally about two weeks ago," the girl replied after a brief pause, "I couldn't just leave him, so I drove him home." She regarded the Third for a moment, then added (almost as an afterthought), "He threw up on me…"

As Shinji mumbled an apology, Asuka relaxed. –I've got to get a grip,- she thought, -I'm jumping at shadows…-

Other guests arrived one by one. First Kensuke, bearing a small, hand-wrapped gift… next Touji and Hikari (arm in arm, of course)… then Maya Ibuki, looking vaguely uncomfortable… and finally Rei, looking more uncomfortable than Maya had (or as uncomfortable as Rei ever looked – which is to say, she refused to make eye-contact and spoke quieter than usual).

When they had assembled in the living room, Misato spoke up. "Everyone here is a friend…" she began solemnly, "and I thank you all for coming." She turned, meeting everyone's eyes individually, "I know you're all close to Asuka…" she said quietly, "but before the party started I wanted to be the first to say welcome back." Her brown eyes settled on Asuka's blue ones, and she smiled gently, "You and Shinji are like my children," she said softly, "and it's hard when either of you leave." She raised her glass, "So before I get all sappy and start crying, here's to you, honey… welcome home…"

The small group echoed her, raising their glasses high in the air.

Asuka blushed and hid behind Shinji, "Misato!" she said, trying to sound angry, "You're such a bitch…"

"Damn right," Misato said proudly, "and now everyone knows where you get it!"

Everyone laughed at this, and the party began. Since it was such a small group, it consisted mostly of everyone sitting around on the living room furniture, reminiscing about the good times they'd had.

After an hour and a half, Shinji excused himself to the bathroom.

Once he was finished, he slipped quietly out into the back yard and gazed up at the stars. "I knew you would sneak away," Asuka said softly, coming up behind him and slipping her arms around his waist, "I said I'm not mad… what's wrong?"

"It's not that," he said quietly, resting his hands over hers, "you know I don't like crowds…"

"Shinji…" she whispered, "we can leave if you want…"

He laughed softly, "You know… when we first met, I couldn't have imagined you offering that for anyone… let alone me."

"People change, honey," she replied, turning him to face her. She studied him in the moonlight for a minute, "Did you change while I was gone?" she whispered, caressing his cheek, "did I lose you when I got on that plane?"

He closed his eyes, flushing faintly. "No…" he answered after a moment, "but I think I lost myself…" he drew her into his arms, "when you were gone, I just kept thinking of how different it was that we were so close after the way we got started…"

"Different… bad?" she asked gently.

"No," he said thoughtfully, "just different. I thought about you every day… and the more I thought about it, the more I thought that someday you would get tired of me…"

"So that's why you…" she let the thought trial off.

"I don't know…" he sighed miserably, "I just… I don't know…"

"I'm only different for you," she whispered, holding him tightly, "you know that… don't you?"

He put his hand on the top of her head, "Yeah, I know… with everyone else, you're the same. It's kinda scary sometimes to admit that I have enough influence to change you so much…"

"I could be mean to you if you'd like," she offered with a grin, "would that make it easier?"

He laughed softly, "Though it sounds like a tempting offer…" he kissed her, letting her lips hold all of his fear and confusion at bay, "I think I prefer you like this."

She sighed sadly, "I won't ask you to promise me that it won't happen again," she said quietly, holding his eyes with hers, "because I don't want to keep thinking about 'what if.'" She took a deep breath, "But I will ask this: if you ever doubt again… if you're ever scared again… if you ever feel like you can't be with me again… talk to me. That's all I ask… just… talk to me. Can you do that, honey?"

He considered this for a moment, opening his mouth to tell her exactly what had happened… then closing it again and simply nodding. "Ok… and I'm sor-"

"Don't say it again," she whispered, "the more you say it, the more I think about why you're saying it…"

He averted his eyes, but said nothing.

"Hey…" she said softly, "I love you, Shinji…"

"I love you, Asuka…" he replied, his voice breaking.

"Shhh…" she whispered, "it's ok now… we're ok now…"

They stood in silence for a few minutes, studying each other in the moonlight.

Finally, Shinji said, "We should probably get back to the-"

His thought went unfinished as, for the first time in five and a half years, the angel alarm began to sound…

Continued…

Author's notes: None that I can think of. ^_^

Thanks to Ryoma for pre-reading once again… not getting tired yet, are ya? Hehe

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	3. React

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 3

React

By Random1377

"God_damnit_ get me some information on that thing!"

Misato's eyes were glued to the screen as the ninth angel continued its seemingly unstoppable approach towards Tokyo-3.

"Magi are still calculating possible weaknesses," Makoto Hyouga said, typing into his computer with frantic speed, "so far, all we know is that it _IS_ an angel…"

"Unit 02 standing by," Asuka's voice filled the command room, followed a moment later by Shinji, Touji, and Rei, indicating their readiness as well.

"You four stand by," Misato said absently, "though I doubt you'll be able to help, since it's airborne."

"We could still prepare for defense down here," Asuka pointed out, "I mean… we know where it's going."

"Good point," the Operations Director admitted, "Units 01, 02, and 03 launch. Rei, I want you to stand by – just in case it penetrates the base."

Rei's voice came back to her, sounding questioning, "With twelve EVAs already on the attack? That seems unlikely… but you are the tactician…"

Misato frowned. She didn't like the fact that the blue-haired girl was in Unit 00 at all. –She should be on that dais,- she thought, looking up to where Hines was watching the goings-on with a fascinated look on his face.

"Fast…" Angelica's voice came through the communications net, sounding scared, "_man_ it's fast…"

"Stay calm," Misato said quickly, "try and flank it… 09 and 11, move in."

Only three of the white, mass-production EVAs had engaged the angel. Misato felt this would reduce the chances of one of them accidentally hitting another, and since the thing was still relatively far from Tokyo-3, it allowed the other Units to take up strategic positions between the angel and headquarters.

Misato watched closely as the two Units moved in, thinking absently that these Units would have been used to attack them had SEELE been allowed to run free.

Her eyes widened in horror as the vast, stingray-like creature rolled to the side, revealing its glowing red core… and a series of spikes on its underside.

The spikes shot out almost faster than she could track, striking the closest Unit dead in the chest.

Angelica's voice echoed through Central Dogma, sounding frantic, "Unit 08 is down, repeat, 08 is _DOWN!!!_"

"Christ," Misato muttered, her voice shaking, "Units 09 and 11, pull back and wait for-"

"Belay that order," Rei's voice cut in calmly, "Unit 09, use your spear on the angel's wings… Unit 11, come in from beneath and attack the core."

The purple-haired woman protested, "Commander, I don't think that would-"

"Stand down, Major…" the First Child said coolly, "you are out of line."

Misato closed her mouth, watching tensely as Unit 09 spread its wings to their fullest extent, catching an updraft and gliding up above the fast-moving angel.

"Moving in," Angelica said tensely.

The attack went perfectly. Unit 09 folded its wings, dropping like a rock towards the angel.

The angel, sensing an attack, veered to the side… but its body was not the objective.

Unit 09 suddenly spread its wings again, lashing out with its weapon as it passed the angel, and tearing a large piece out of its left wing.

The angel roared, flapping desperately, trying to stay airborne… exposing its core.

Unit 11 dove in quickly, penetrating the angel's core with the tip of its spear and dropping the creature to the ground before the echo of its scream faded away.

"Major Kaji…" Rei's voice filled the suddenly silent command room, "report to my office and wait for my arrival."

"Yes, Commander…" the purple-haired woman replied.

The bridge crew watched in silence as the Operations Director headed towards the door, her head hung low.

**

"Now _that_ was a fight!"

Shinji looked up from tying his shoes as the Seventh Child, a Chinese man named Wu Lin Shi, came into the locker room.

"Got that right!" David Klashnikov, the Eleventh Child, replied, "That's what we're paid for, man!"

Shinji sighed, looking over at the Sixth Child.

Alejandro Guteriez was not smiling… he sat on the bench with his head down, a far-off look in his eyes. 

"Now you're not the only one with experience, Ikari," Wu Lin said with a grin, "can't hold that over us anymore!"

-_Did_ I ever hold it over anyone?- Shinji thought. Ignoring the Seventh, he said quietly, "You ok, Guteriez?"

"I don't know…" the Hispanic man answered softly, "I was right next to Xiang when she got hit… it could have been me…"

"She'll be ok," Shinji said quietly, "she wasn't that badly hurt."

"You believe everything they tell you, don't you?" the other man replied, smiling sickly, "I saw her when they pulled her out of the plug… she's not gonna be 'ok' ever again." His voice choked as he went on, "I _think_ she'll walk again…" he said, putting his head in his hands as the others stared at him, "I think…"

"Miss Lee will make a full recovery," a soft voice said from the door, "Unit 08 is beyond repair…"

The men all looked towards the door, where Rei was standing, still in her plugsuit.

"Don't lie to us, Commander!" Guteriez said angrily, rising to his feet, "I saw the-"

"The sight of blood on a battleground often makes a wound appear more serious than it is," the blue-haired girl cut him off smoothly, "do not let this affect you."

"Yes Commander…" the Sixth replied, his anger dissipating under the calm eyes of the First.

"Pilot Klashnikov…" Rei said softly, "your aim was exceptional, and your attack was perfectly timed." She inclined her head, "Well done."

"Thank you, Commander," the Eleventh Child said, his chest puffing out.

"You all did very well today," the blue-haired girl said quietly, surveying the room, "you should all be proud."

As she turned to leave, Shinji stood and caught her arm. "IS Xiang going to be ok?" he whispered as the others began talking again.

Rei paused for a moment, finally averting her eyes. "Yes, Shinji…" she whispered, "given time… and therapy… she will recover to eighty percent of her former ability."

"Eighty?" he echoed, horrified, "You consider that ok?"

She flushed slightly, meeting his eyes. "She is not dead, Shinji…" she answered, her voice a touch sad, "and the angel _was_ defeated…"

He released her arm. "Eighty percent…" he said once more, shaking his head sadly, "maybe it would have been better if-"

"No," Rei interjected, "death is never better than life… and she fought bravely. She will not want for anything so long as she lives…"

"Except the other twenty percent," he answered sadly, looking around at the other pilots.

"Yes…" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, "except that."

Their eyes met for a long moment, and Shinji finally whispered, "I think Guteriez was close to her… will he be allowed to visit?"

She turned to face him fully, using his body to block the others line of sight as she took his hand in hers. "I had not considered it… but if you think it would help, I will allow it…"

"I do…" he said, "thank you."

"You are very kind," she whispered, squeezing his hand gently, "it is your strongest quality…"

"Ikari," Wu Lin's voice distracted Shinji before he could reply, "you're gonna join us for a drink to celebrate, right?"

Turning to face the other pilot, Shinji smiled, "You know I never miss a party," he replied.

-And that is your greatest weakness,- Rei thought sadly, releasing his hand. "I will tell Asuka that you are going out," she whispered, "goodbye Shinji…"

Shinji nodded, flushing slightly as the First departed. –Maybe… I shouldn't…- he thought, pondering the sad look in the blue-haired girl's deep red eyes. He sighed, -Just one or two… then I'll go home…- he resolved.

But like many New Years resolutions unable to endure past February… Shinji's was forgotten by the second drink…

**

Misato stood at attention, waiting for the young Commander to arrive.

-Isn't this ironic?- she thought, with some amusement, -_I'm_ getting dressed down by _Rei_ of all people…-

She found her mirth dissipating, however, as the blue-haired girl turned the corner, followed closely by her second in command.

"Hines, will you get the door please?" Rei asked, not acknowledging Misato's presence just yet.

The purple-haired woman frowned slightly. –This sucks… I did what was best…-

As the balding man opened the door, Rei turned to Misato. "Major Kaji," she said formally, "please go in…"

"Yes, Ma'am…" the Operations Director said tersely.

"Shall I gather the rest of the reports, Commander?" Hines inquired.

"Yes, please…" Rei answered, "then see that Miss Lee is comfortable."

Hines bowed and took his leave.

Rei entered her office and regarded Misato closely for a moment before speaking. "Do not contradict me again, Major…" she said quietly, "though I am a pilot, I am also the Commander of NERV."

"My strategy was valid," Misato replied calmly, "had we waited for the angel to get closer we would have-"

"Incurred civilian casualties," Rei cut her off smoothly, "a quick solution was needed." 

"I did what I thought was best," the purple-haired woman retorted, "for the pilots and for NERV."

"Your unwillingness to endanger the Children – myself included – is unacceptable…" Rei said softly, studying the older woman's profile.

Misato stood straighter, staring at the back wall of the large office as she replied, "I felt that launching you would be inadvisable, as the other Units were capable of handling the situation."

"And the decision to pull Units 09 and 11 back when they were within striking distance?" Rei pressed.

Misato said nothing.

"How is your daughter?" the blue-haired girl asked suddenly, moving behind the Major.

"W-what?" the operations director stammered, caught totally off guard by the question.

"Your daughter…" Rei repeated, "Reiko." Her voice lowered, "She's very much like you, Major… strong-willed… kind… vivacious…"

"Leave her out of this," Misato said, her voice trembling, "don't you _dare_ try to use her against me."

"You endangered her," Rei whispered, ignoring the other woman's admonishment, "and everyone in Tokyo-3… when you gave that order…"

"I…" the older woman struggled for words. Finally she shook herself, her voice becoming level… and cold, "It won't happen again," she said quietly.

"You are dismissed," Rei said abruptly, "and you are not to report for duty for four days, understood?"

"Yes," Misato said calmly. She turned on her heel, striding quickly towards the door. She paused with her hand on the knob, "You're cold… Commander…" she whispered.

"I am the Commander," Rei replied softly, "I cannot afford to be kind when there are so many that depend on me…"

Misato considered this for a moment, ultimately deciding to stay quiet.

As she opened the door, Rei spoke up again. "I hope that you spend the four days with your daughter, Major Kaji…" she said quietly, "and think about what I've said. I cannot allow you to jeopardize our species because you are afraid of harming or killing a handful of pilots… pilots whose sole purpose on the battlefield is to stop the angels – even to the point of laying down their lives. If you are unwilling to take that risk, I will be forced to find someone who is."

"You would replace me?" Misato asked softly, her voice unbelieving.

"I think you know that I would, Major," the blue-haired girl replied, "it might be better. You would be able to see your daughter as much as you liked, and I would not have to worry that you would hesitate in a pressure situation." She paused for a moment, her voice growing softer, "That is not what I wish, however… I would rather see you perform to the best of your abilities. You would be difficult to find a replacement for… and I do not want to, as I believe you are the best at what you do."

The purple-haired woman thought this over. "He trained you very well," she said quietly, "I'll see you in four days."

"Until then…" Rei replied.

After the other woman had gone, Rei took her seat, folding her hands in an unconscious imitation of her predecessor.

"You handled that very well…" a soft voice said.

Rei sighed as a small door slid open in the back wall. "I dislike manipulating my people…" she replied, "it makes me feel dirty…"

"It could not be helped," the other answered, "and the time off will do her good."

Rei nodded absently. "The angel was… premature…" she said as her advisor walked to her desk, "our calculations were off."

"Or we were deceived," the shadowy figure replied, "I think it's time for another meeting with… her."

"I believe you are correct," she responded, "will you be joining me this time?"

"I don't think so," the other's voice was amused, "she… isn't as talkative when us 'Lillim' are around."

Rei frowned slightly. "I will do it tomorrow morning…" she said, her voice betraying her hesitance, "and discuss it with you in the afternoon."

"As you say, Commander…" came the quiet response.

The blue-haired girl listened to the sound of retreating footsteps. –And will you tell me the truth?- she thought as the hidden door slid closed, -When I tell you what 'she' says… will you guide me in the right direction?-

As much as the First Child hated manipulating others, she knew that it was far better than being manipulated yourself… she just hoped she still held enough cards that that could not happen.

__

"You are the key…"

"I will always have that," she whispered, a touch bitterly, "that cannot be taken…"

Shaking herself, the Commander of NERV rose from her desk and gathered her personal effects, wondering if there was anyone left that she could trust… and knowing that there was always one.

She smiled faintly. Shinji… yes, he would never betray her. If only she could tell him all the secrets that burdened her…

As she headed for her modest two-bedroom apartment (a large step up from the squalid ruin she used to call home) she decided that maybe she _could_ share a bit with the brown-haired man – after all, he _was_ her oldest friend…

**

Asuka sat in bed in silence, resting her head on her knees.

She glanced at the clock again. "Two AM…" she whispered, "why am I still up?"

The female pilots had also gone out for a celebratory toast (oddly, the male and female pilots rarely did anything together), but their group had disbanded at eleven.

Asuka smiled as she thought of how happy Angelica had been. "You'd think she was getting married," she mused softly, "not that she just helped bring down an angel…"

Such was the life of a pilot, she supposed… and was she really so different?

There was a soft knock on the front door, and she rose from her bed, throwing on a robe and stepping out of the bedroom.

"Hey, Devil…" Touji said as she opened the door, "brought you a present."

Asuka sighed.

Shinji's right arm was draped over the Fourth Child's neck, and the brown-haired man was snoring.

"Put him on the bed for me, can ya?" she said, moving to the side as Touji nodded.

"I told him he should stop around an hour ago," the Fourth said, his voice an odd mixture of gruffness and apology, "buy you know how he is."

"Yeah, I know…" Asuka said, rubbing her eyes, "thanks for watching out for him, Suzuhara…"

"S'what friends are for," Touji replied, laying Shinji on the bed, "Hikari says hi, by the way."

Asuka grinned, "Thanks… tell her I said hi back." Her voice turned serious, "Really… thanks for watching out for my idiot."

"Don't spread it around," Touji replied, heading for the door, "it would ruin my rep if people found out I was really a nice guy."

"Did I say you were a nice guy?" Asuka retorted, arching an eyebrow as she laid a hand on the doorknob.

"You know you want me," Touji said with a grin, "take it easy, Devilgirl."

She nodded, "You too, Stooge."

As the door closed, she sighed. –Just one more, right honey?- she thought sadly as she headed back to the bedroom.

Shaking her head, she took her robe off and slipped into bed with her lover, wrapping her arms around him. "Rest well, baby…" she whispered, kissing his cheek briefly and snuggling up to him, "I love you…"

Shinji moaned quietly in his sleep, pulling her closer to him.

Asuka closed her eyes, wondering what – if anything – she could do to help him.

"'The first step in beating an addiction is admitting that you have a problem,'" she quoted softly, "but you don't see it, honey… you don't see it…"

She opened her eyes, frowning in the darkness. –I'll help you see…- she thought grimly, -I'll find a way to help you see it, Shinji… whether you want me to or not… I will…-

She closed her eyes again, deciding firmly as she drifted off that tomorrow would bring change.

And it did.

Continued…

Author's notes: oo!! Ooo!! Look, I'm all mysterious and stuff. People in the shadows… an unnamed 'she'… Touji being nice to Asuka… it's madness!! :P On the ninth angel – yes, I know what the ninth angel looked like in the series… so why is this one different? Just sit tight… I'll explain it in good time (how does next chapter sound? ^_^). On Asuka's characterization – really, she's not any different… but keep in mind that I've thusfar shown her mostly in the company of her friends and her lover – where she feels comfortable letting her guard down. An example of this behavior, for anyone that doesn't believe that she would be so playful, can be found at the end of episode 10 (Magma Diver), when they visit the hot-springs and Misato and Asuka goof off. I've always maintained that Asuka is not as hard as she pretends to be (ok, ok, so this is not a _deep_ observation… big deal :P), and six years have passed… so I think I get a _little_ slack here, right? _RIGHT??_ ^_~

Ryoma… the pre-reading god. Thanks, man… I owe you again.

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	4. Reveal

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 4

Reveal

By Random1377

"Mommy… Mooommmmieeee…"

Misato forced her eyes open, "Mmmm… what is it, honey?" she mumbled, "Mommy's sleepy…" she let her eyes drift closed again, hoping her daughter would decide that it wasn't worth the effort. Yesterday had been a long, frustrating day… and she wasn't in the mood to deal with the rambunctious youth just yet.

"Daddy left," Reiko replied, shaking her to make sure she didn't go back to sleep, "he said since you were gonna be home, he was gonna go workin' early."

"He did?" the purple-haired woman said, yawning and rubbing her eyes, "And he left you all alone without waking me up?" -God,- she thought, sitting up tiredly, -could my husband be more careless?-

"I'm a big girl!" Reiko exclaimed proudly, "Daddy said so."

"You _are_ a big girl," Misato replied, pulling the covers back, "but you're not big enough to be awake all by yourself."

Reiko, tiring of the conversation, said, "I want pizza."

Misato blinked. "For breakfast?" she said, "I think not."

"Daddy lets me…" the girl pouted.

"Daddy's not here now, is he?" her mother replied, swinging her legs out of bed, "How about some eggies?"

Reiko instantly brightened, "With pokey-yolks?" she asked hopefully.

Misato made a horrified face, "Ewww!!" she exclaimed with mock-disgust, "Yucky! But if that's what you want…"

"They're the bestest," Reiko said with a broad grin, "you can have some of mine."

"No thanks!" Misato exclaimed, struggling to hide her smile, "I might turn into a chicken."

"Nuh-uh!" the young girl shook her head emphatically.

Her mother looked at her thoughtfully, "I think you're turning into a chicken," she said, "your nose looks kinda like a beak…"

"It _does?_" Reiko said wonderingly, feeling her nose with wide eyes.

"Yup," Misato confirmed, "and your butt has feathers on it."

The girl turned to look at her pajama-clad backside, then whirled around, her face breaking into a large smile, "Mom_iee!!!_" she shouted.

The Operations Director grinned. –Yet another tactical victory for the great Misato Kaji,- she thought. She held her arms out, "Gimme hug…"

Reiko jumped into her arms, squeezing her tightly. "You're a chicken," she giggled gleefully.

Misato laughed, "Come on… let's see about those eggies… chicken…"

"You are!" Reiko laughed, releasing her mother and scampering off towards the kitchen.

The purple-haired woman followed, yawning expansively. –Four days…- she thought glumly as she recalled the reason she had been able to sleep as long as she had, - Rei's right, though… it'll be nice to spend some time at home…-

As her mother got out a pan, Reiko regaled her with the details of the movie she and Aunt Nozomi had watched. A fine (in her mind, anyway) story about two high school students and their trials and tribulations in becoming a couple. She couldn't pretend to understand the romance aspects of the show, but it had been filled with amusing one-liners and bright colors… which was all Reiko really cared about at that point in her life.

"Daddy says you can't cook…" the little girl observed, changing the topic without so much as a 'Hey, by the way.'

Misato glowered, "What else does Daddy say?" she muttered.

"That he's the luckiest man alive, cuz he's a loser and you're so pretty," Reiko replied without hesitation.

Misato nearly dropped the pan. "When did he say that?" she asked wonderingly.

Her daughter beamed proudly, "He said I should say that if you ever said, 'What does Daddy say about me?'"

Misato stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded, then let out a short laugh. "Figures…" she said, shaking her head and smiling as she set the pan on the stove.

"He also said he loves you lots," the girl said, opening the fridge to retrieve the eggs, "and that he wishes he got to see you more."

"Did he tell you to say that too?" her mother asked dubiously.

"No," Reiko replied, "he said that when he was on the phone."

Misato blinked, "Who was he talking to?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Kaji rarely talked about personal matters on the phone.

The little girl tilted her head, thinking it over for a moment, "Someone named Commander," she said finally, "he was on the phone for a long time yesterday."

Misato just stared at her daughter. –Why would he talk to Rei from here?- she thought, baffled, -And why would they be talking about me?-

The fact that Reiko hadn't known who was on the phone didn't surprise Misato. The girl knew Rei, and heard Misato talking about 'The Commander' all the time. However, when the blue-haired girl was around, she was always just Rei (Misato insisted on this), so there was no way her young mind could have made the connection.

"What else did they talk about?" the purple-haired woman inquired.

Reiko frowned, "Daddy said I'm not supposed to listen to him when he talks on the phone…" she said reluctantly.

"It's ok," Misato said gently, the eggs forgotten, "you can tell me… just this once…"

"He talked about messigers," the girl said with a shrug, "and some girl who knows stuff but won't talk to him."

"Messigers…" the Operations Director repeated, trying to puzzle out what her daughter was trying to say. Frowning, she said, "Messengers?"

"Yeah!!" Reiko exclaimed, "That's what he said. He said he didn't think it would be long before they came looking for her."

"Her who?" Misato asked, confused.

The little girl shrugged. "I dunno… can I have my eggies now?"

"In a minute," her mother replied, "did he say who the messengers wanted to find?" she pressed.

Reiko shook her head, "Uh-uh… but I think it was the girl that won't talk… he kept saying that if she would talk more, they could figure out how to make the messigers stop looking." Her lip turned down, "Mommy… I'm hungry…"

Misato nodded, realizing she had gotten all that she could from the child, "Of course, honey…" she said, turning back to the stove. –What the hell is going on?- she thought, cracking two eggs into the skillet, -I'm going to have to talk to him…-

She frowned, thinking of Rei's words, 'You are not to report for duty for four days,'

"Guess I just won't report…" she mumbled, picking up a spatula.

She sighed, wondering if Nozomi would mind coming over for a few hours…

**

Maya sat back in her chair and sighed.

"You always made it look so easy…" she said wistfully.

"Hard day?"

Maya smiled as a pair of strong arms came around her shoulders. "Yeah…" she admitted, closing her eyes and leaning back, "Sempai always did things so much faster than me… and you would not believe how much work is involved when the EVAs are damaged…"

Shigeru Ibuki kissed the side of his wife's neck gently. "No one does it better than you, honey…" he whispered against her ear, "and there's something to be said for taking your time…"

Maya shivered, "Mmmmm…" she hummed, "pervert…" She tilted her head and kissed him briefly, "Don't whisper in my ear when you know I have work to do…" she admonished.

He grinned, "How can I help it?" he whispered… in her ear, "When you look so sexy."

"Stop now," she breathed, flushing slightly, "or I'm going to make you suffer for it later…"

"Sounds promising," he said gently, "how much more do you have to do, honey?"

"Another hour or two," she said, reluctantly opening her eyes and leaning away from him, "Unit 08 is a total loss… the angel's spikes punctured its core, brainpan, and several other vital organs. Its _way_ past the Henfleck limit…"

"What about the pilot?" he inquired, staying close to her.

They had been married for only a year, after a rather fast courtship. It had taken four and a half years for Shigeru to get close enough to her to actually broach the subject of dating with her… but he considered it time well spent. The decision to take her last name had been an easy one to make – after all, _he_ was the one getting the better end of the deal as far as lineage was concerned.

Of course, he still signed checks Shigeru Aoba from time to time.

"Xiang's… in bad shape," Maya said reluctantly, "one of the spikes…" she trailed off.

"Sorry," he said quietly, holding her tighter, "I didn't mean to make you unhappy."

"You didn't," she said, allowing herself to lean into him again, "you never do, honey…"

"Let's talk about something more pleasant…" he whispered, kissing the side of her neck again, "let's talk about what you're wearing under that uniform, Misses Ibuki…"

"You're bad…" she whispered, feeling her pulse jump, "you know I have-"

He turned her to face him and pressed his lips against hers, silencing her protest. He broke away after a moment, smiling as he whispered, "When you work a fourteen hour shift, you are allowed some breaks, right? I think you're about due…" he leaned in again, kissing her deeply.

She moaned softly as he began undoing the buttons on her uniform shirt, tilting her head back to allow him better access to her lips.

As their kisses became more intense, she broke away, her voice low and hoarse.

"Lock the door…"

**

As Rei made her way through the deep maze of Terminal Dogma, her mind began to go over the day's events.

-It was premature to say I would be able to come here in the morning,- she thought, -I should have known I would not be able to escape my duties…-

Not that she had a great desire to visit the secret room, deep in the heart of NERV… but she disliked creating a timetable, only to have it thrown off by inconveniences such as duty and obligation.

The meeting with the heads of Sections Two, Four, and Thirteen had not gone well. There had been much panic and losing of calm, and Rei was surprised that she had managed to keep them from running for the hills.

'We have dealt with this before,' she had said coolly, 'it is why we are here. We are stronger than we have ever been, and we know now that the angels have _not_ given up. We have lost one EVA, but we are still more than adequately staffed. When the next attack occurs… we shall be even more prepared.'

She sighed as she reached her destination, pausing outside the door marked, 'Authorized personnel only – trespassers will be shot on sight!' "We should have been more prepared for this one," she whispered.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and opened the door, stepping into a large room with a vaulted ceiling. In the center of the room was a large tank, affixed to a mobile platform, and ringed with three large canister-shaped devices marked N^2. An excessive precaution, perhaps, but should the tank's occupant ever attempt to free itself, the entire tank would be shot into the stratosphere in less than fifteen seconds, and all three non-nuclear mines would be detonated simultaneously.

NERV took no chances.

"Are you awake… angel…" Rei said quietly.

In the tank, the long, serpentine shape stirred, uncoiling itself like a cat awakening from a nap and turning to face its visitor.

"Hello… Mother…" the creature whispered, its voice holding an unmistakable hint of pleasure.

"I told you not to call me that," Rei replied, forcing down the irrational urge to smile.

The way the creature 'spoke' set Rei's hair on end. It wasn't so much a sound carried through the air, but rather… an enforced vibration in the ear canal – as if the angel were standing directly behind her and whispering softly in her ear… like a lover.

"I call you what you are," the angel replied, "to use another name would be incorrect."

"I am not your mother," Rei answered levelly, "I am human."

"As you say… Mother…" the creature said, sounding more amused.

"You said that we had more time until the others arrived," Rei began, wanting to leave as soon as possible, "yet the ninth attacked yesterday."

"I know," the angel replied, "I felt him pass…"

"Why did it come?" Rei asked softly, "There should be no more angels until you are gone… that is what was written."

"That is what you interpreted," the angel replied, "not what was written."

"What do you mean?" Rei demanded.

"The sacred words say that there are trials that must be passed… and that a messenger shall arrive to initiate each one." The angel paused, it's tone growing soft, "My trial is passed."

"I don't understand," the blue-haired woman answered, "you are not dead – our researchers said that until an angel dies, there can be no more."

"You live, Mother…" the angel said quietly.

"I am human…" Rei said… but her voice lacked conviction. After a pause she said, "If I ask you a question… will you answer it, angel?"

"You are the Mother," the angel replied, seeming to tilt its massive head slightly, "being untruthful with the Mother is forbidden."

"Are there others…" Rei asked softly, "others… like me?"

The angel was silent for a long time. "Mother…" it replied, its tone hesitant for the first time since Rei had first heard it speak, "since I was taken by one of the Chosen and the shadow of the Father, I have learned much." It paused, seeming to gather its thoughts, "I have learned the ways of the Lillim, your other children… I have learned to communicate with them… I have watched the one you called Commander grow obsessed with his quest to find that which was lost to him – even unto his own death…"

"Go on," Rei prompted, feeling a sense of unease wash over her as the angel grew even more hesitant.

"I have learned also… that there are those among you that must not be trusted…"

Rei blinked in confusion, "What are you-"

"Mother," the angel interrupted her, "please do not speak, for your words are not only heard by me…"

The First Child's eyes widened as the implication of the angel's words hit home. After a moment, she nodded.

"Yes, there is another like you," the angel said softly, relaxing slightly, "I do not know where, but he is the final messenger… he bears the soul of the Father within him. And he will not reveal himself until the other tests are passed…"

Rei considered this for a moment, knowing that if this room was monitored (which _should_ have been impossible) that the angel's words were for her alone. She chose her words very carefully, asking, "You… allowed yourself to be captured, didn't you?"

"Yes," the angel replied, "as the shadow of the Father ensnared me, I made the decision to break free… but then… then I felt your presence, watching over the other Chosen one from high above… and I allowed myself to be taken."

"Why?" Rei asked, not understanding.

"Must you ask?" the angel answered, its voice almost a laugh, "I did it to be close to you, Mother. All Messengers must heed the call of the Father's flesh… and I am no exception – but I chose to be close to you instead of seeking Him… for I know that someday, you and He will unite. Then all will be one."

Rei shivered. "That won't happen…" she said as calmly as she could.

"As you say… Mother…" the angel replied, it's voice almost… placating.

"I have another question, angel…" the blue-haired girl said softly, "what was your trial? And how is it complete?"

As the angel known as Sandelphon began to speak in her soft, sibilant voice, Rei's eyes widened… and before it had finished, tears were running down the young Commander's face.

**

"Why do I have to wear a suit, again?" Shinji asked, a look of intense displeasure on his face.

"I told you," Asuka replied absently, straightening his tie, "it's a fancy restaurant… now hold still!"

The Third Child sighed, "It's just a few people, right?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered, finishing the knot, "just Hikari, Touji, Angelica, and your little boyfriend."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Yeah… the lady's man is _so_ into me. Kensuke's working then?"

"Naturally," she replied, "you know he would never leave his little Rei unprotected."

"His Rei?" Shinji asked, confused.

Asuka stared at him blankly. "Geez…" she muttered after a moment, "all men are idiots and I'm dating their king…" She sighed.

"We're getting a ride tonight, right?" Shinji asked as Asuka stepped away.

"Yes, honey…" she said, meeting his eyes levelly, "you won't have to drive."

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked after a moment, "What?"

"Shinji…" Asuka began slowly, putting her arms around his waist, "don't… drink tonight, ok?"

He bristled, "What's that supposed to mean?" he mumbled, shrugging his coat on, "You're saying I can't go out without tying one on?"

She said nothing, but her lips compressed into a thin line.

"I don't have a problem!" he snapped, blinking at the vehemence in his voice.

She looked away, "Shinji…" she said quietly, "when was the last time you went a whole day without a drink?"

"I don't need this now," he said angrily, pushing past her to sit on the bed, "not after what happened to Xiang."

She sighed as he began pulling his socks on. "Honey," she said gently, "look at me…"

"What?" he asked sharply, finishing his socks and starting on his shoes, "We have to hurry or we won't be ready when-"

"Please look at me," she cut him off softly.

He took a deep breath, and slowly raised his head.

"Do you love me?" she asked quietly, holding up a hand as he started to frown, "No, wait… wrong question. I know you love me…"

She knelt in front of him, putting her hands on his knees and looking up into his eyes.

"Do you love yourself?" she asked gently, "I know how hard it is, baby… I hated myself for the longest time."

"I don't hate myself," he whispered, "can we please-"

"Shinji," she said gently, "just for tonight, ok?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't have a problem, Asuka…" he said firmly, "if this is the only way to prove that to you – fine, I won't have anything tonight. Happy?"

"Yes…" she whispered, leaning up to kiss him gently, "more than you know, honey…"

He sighed as she rose to her feet, "This is stupid, you know…" he muttered.

"Maybe," she admitted, "but thank you for doing it for me."

He shrugged, "Get ready," he said quietly, "our ride will be here any minute."

She smiled, "I love you…" she said, leaning forward to kiss him again, "thank you for doing this for me."

Before he could reply, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," he said, "you get dressed before everyone thinks I'm dating a hussy."

She stuck her tongue out, "What? You mean you don't want me to go out like this?"

He looked her up and down, "I don't think a garter-belt and a bra counts as 'eveningwear', honey…" he said dryly.

She laughed, "Get the door…"

He chuckled, closing the bedroom door (that still bore the sign 'Shinji's Lovely Suite') and going to the front of the apartment.

"Hey, Shinji…" the Fifth Child smiled softly as the door opened, "Ready to go?"

"Just about…" Shinji said with a sigh, "Asuka needs to finish getting her stuff together."

"Of course," the other replied.

Shinji stepped aside, letting his long-time friend and pilot of Evangelion Unit 05, Kaworu Nagisa into his apartment.

The red-eyed boy entered with a gentle smile. –The time is drawing nigh, Ikari…- he thought with a mixture of sadness and anticipation, -I hope you are prepared…-

Five minutes later, the three friends left the apartment, bound for what would be the last carefree night any of them would know for a long, long time…

Continued…

Author's notes: Yeah, none I can think of… hope you're liking it. ^_^

Thanks again to Ryoma for pre-reading. 

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	5. Regret

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 5

Regret

By Random1377

__

Click

Ryouji Kaji froze. "Only three people have put a gun to my head and lived," he mused, "one of them became my wife…"

The person holding the pistol made no reply.

Kaji closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "And unless you're raiding her perfume drawer…"

"You're slipping, honey," Misato's voice came from behind him as the gun was removed, "I watched you for forty seconds before making my move."

He shrugged, turning to face her with a grin, "I'm not a spy anymore… Koko could sneak up on me."

She smiled as she holstered her gun. "Hate to break it to you, baby," she said, "but Daddy's little girl couldn't sneak up on a bowl of soup."

"There's an interesting image," he laughed, putting his arms around her and giving her a kiss, "so what brings you to the depths of Dogma?"

"Needed to talk to you," she said, trying to sound casual, "Reiko said you were talking to Rei yesterday."

"And I… shouldn't talk to my superior?" he inquired, amusement creeping into his voice.

"What did you talk about?" Misato asked, determined not to be sidetracked.

He shrugged, "Work stuff," he said absently, "this and that."

"Reiko said you were talking about angels…" she said, narrowing her eyes, "now tell me."

"And that's a surprise?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, "That's why NERV exists – of course I'm going to talk-"

"Don't play me for a fool!" the purple-haired woman snapped, "We don't hear anything from the angels for five and a half years, and then you're talking to Rei about them – from _home_ – the day one attacks!" She narrowed her eyes, "Did you know this was going to happen? Does Rei have some way of-"

"Whoa! Whoa!" he said, raising his hands defensively, "Slow down, babe…" He sighed, "No… we didn't know it was going to happen today."

"But you _did_ know it was going to happen?" she pressed.

"Of course we knew it was going to happen," he said with a shrug, "you know just as well as I do how many angels there are."

"And what about the girl that won't talk when you're around?" Misato inquired, feeling as if she had already lost.

"Xiang Lee," he replied without so much as a hesitation, "you know how quiet she is. I was just talking to Rei about ways to make her more outgoing. I said, 'If we can get that girl to talk more, I'll bet we can do anything – even stopping the angels.'"

"You're lying to me," Misato said softly, averting her eyes, "I'm your wife… shouldn't I know what's going on?"

"If there was anything to know," he said soothingly, "I would fill you in immediately."

"You said we'd find the truth together…" she whispered, turning away from him.

"And we will," he said firmly, putting his arms around her, "you have to trust me, honey… you have to believe in me."

She took a deep breath. "Alright…" she said quietly, letting him sway her, "but if I find out you're lying to me…"

"I'm not," he said gently, kissing the back of her head, "you know I would never deceive you."

After a moment, she nodded.

"Where's Koko?" he asked tightening his grip, "Do you have… a little time."

She grinned. "No… you sicko, I don't have time for that right now – and I wouldn't do that here anyway."

"Aww," he said, disappointed, "why not? No one's watching."

"This isn't college," she said, turning her head to kiss him briefly before stepping away from him, "but if you play your cards right, and come home at a reasonable hour… maybe Reiko'll be visiting her friend…"

"Tease…" he muttered, running an appreciative hand over her hip.

"Teases never deliver…" she whispered with a wink, "be home by eight…"

He sighed as she headed towards the door, wondering if she would ever forgive him if she found out the truth.

Knowing she would not…

**

"That was your mom," Nozomi said as she hung up the phone, "I'm going to drop you off at Yurika's house at five. She'll pick you up there."

Reiko looked up from the bowl she was mixing and shrugged. "Ok," she said absently.

Nozomi poured herself a glass of water and took over the mixing.

"I got a letter from Aunt Kodama," she said with a sigh, "she has a boyfriend now." She paused to take a drink of her water, wondering when it would be her turn to make that announcement.

Reiko shrugged. Kodama Horaki was not a strong influence in the little girl's life.

Kodama had been away at college just about all of Reiko's life, pursuing her doctorate, and when she came back to visit she was generally too wrapped up in visiting her friends and family to say more than four words to the little Kaji girl.

Not that this particularly bothered the purple-haired girl… but it didn't exactly endear the eldest Horaki to her, either.

"Aunt Nozomi," she asked after a moment, "when can I meet your boyfriend?"

The other girl choked on her drink.

"W-What?" Nozomi coughed, totally caught off guard.

"Well," Reiko said, completely oblivious to her babysitter's agitation, "Shinji is Aunt Asuka's boyfriend… and Uncle Touji is Aunt Hikari's boyfriend… so where's your boyfriend?"

"I… I don't have one," the older girl mumbled.

"Why not?" Reiko asked curiously.

"Because I'm ugly…" Nozomi whispered miserably, "no boy would give me the time of day."

Reiko looked her up and down, frowning slightly, "You're pretty," she pointed out, "not ugly."

"Sure," her babysitter laughed bitterly, "so pretty." She sighed, "You know, when Hikari was my age, she was already a C-cup… and she and Touji had been going out for a year…"

"What's a C-cup?" Reiko inquired, titling her head to the side.

"It's a… oh never mind," Nozomi said, not up to the task of describing the intricacies of breast support to a four year old, "it just means that she was better…"

Reiko considered this. "I like you better," she said plainly.

"Thanks," the older girl said dryly, "now if you were just thirteen years older and male, I might have a good thing going."

Reiko beamed.

Nozomi sighed and adjusted her glasses. "I doubt you'll ever have problems getting a boyfriend," she said, taking another drink, "your mommy's gorgeous."

The little girl wrinkled her nose. "I don't want one," she said, shaking her head for emphasis, "boy's make your face all scrunchy."

"Scrunchy?" the brown-haired girl said, confused, "What do you mean?"

Reiko shrugged. "Whenever Aunt Asuka talks about something Shinji did, her face gets all scrunchy."

Nozomi laughed. "It does?"

The purple-haired girl nodded, "Uh-huh… and yours did too."

Nozomi's laughter died instantly. "Huh?"

Reiko smiled, "When you said you were ugly and no boys would like you… your face got all scrunchy."

The older girl thought about this for a minute as she resumed stirring the brownie mix. "It's… important to me," she said finally, wondering why she felt like sharing this information with her young charge, "I… don't like being alone. I want someone I can hold hands with… and watch movies… and… never mind, honey…"

Silence descended for a minute as they poured the mix into a pan and placed it in the oven.

"Aunt Nozomi?" Reiko said quietly.

"What is it, honey?" Nozomi replied, carrying the bowl to the sink to rinse it out.

"I can… do those things," the little girl said timidly, "I can hold your hand… and watch movies with you… you don't have to be sad…"

Nozomi opened her mouth to tell the purple-haired girl that she didn't understand, but she found that she couldn't speak… and her eyes were damp.

Slowly, she knelt and hugged Reiko. "Thank you," she said softly, "that's very sweet of you, honey."

Reiko hugged her back, pleased that she had been able to cheer her favorite aunt up.

"Go pick out a movie," Nozomi said, releasing the purple-haired girl and steering her in the direction of the living room, "I'll finish cleaning up."

As Reiko grinned and scampered off, her babysitter wiped her eyes. –Whoever gets that girl is one lucky man,- she thought, unsure if she was proud… or jealous.

Finally, she shook her head and turned for the sink, wiping out the mixing bowl and smiling gently as she imagined herself holding Reiko's hand and walking down the street… and thinking that – even if she never got a boyfriend – she would always have her.

And that was just fine.

**

"There you guys are," Angelica said, standing up and waving as Shinji, Asuka, and Kaworu came into the restaurant, "we've been here for like, fifteen minutes."

"More like five for us," Touji said dryly, "the Ninth has been here for an hour, I'll bet…"

"Only a half," the brunette said defensively, "and a good thing too, because you know what? I asked if there were any reservations under Suzuhara… and there weren't."

"Touji!" Hikari exclaimed, "You said you called!"

"I did!" Touji said, "I… think. This is the Four Corners, right?"

Asuka sighed, taking the seat next to Hikari. "You'll note my lack of surprise that your muscle-head messed up," she said, kissing her friend on the cheek, "six months without my positive influence was bound to wreak havoc on his poor, feeble mind."

"You know what I missed most about you, red?" Touji said, leaning back in his chair, "Nothing."

"Behave…" Hikari said – as much to Asuka as to Touji.

"Nagisa," Angelica said, inclining her head slightly, "missed you at the party."

"My apologies, Miss Bennett," the gray-haired boy replied with a bow, taking the seat next to her, "regrettably, I was on guard duty."

"It's ok… you can tell me about it when you're taking me out on Saturday," Angelica said with a smirk.

"How… forward," the Fifth replied approvingly, "I like that. Very well, I will look forward to it."

Asuka watched the exchange with a bemused expression. She knew that Angelica wasn't one to wait around for guys to make the first move. In fact, the girl was rather headstrong all the way around, when it came right down to it. It had been her that had pursued a relationship with Asuka, deciding at their first meeting that they _would_ be friends.

Asuka couldn't approve of the girl's tastes, however. –I swear he likes Shinji…- she thought as the red-eyed boy smiled at his suitor, -and I'm not just talking like, 'hey, let's go play some ball,'-type like, either…-

"So…" Hikari said after the two pilots had agreed on a time and a place to meet, "how does it feel, Asuka? Two years is a long time."

-What's that look?- Asuka thought as a peculiar expression flashed across her friend's face, -Guilt?- "Feels great," she replied, smiling at her boyfriend, "and I think it'll get better from here on in."

"Any regrets?" Kaworu asked softly, "Anything you would change?"

"Everyone!" Angelica piped up suddenly, "Everyone say something they regret."

"You go first, then," Kaworu said with a faint smile.

"Damn…" the girl muttered, "that backfired… ok… ummm…" she thought about it for a moment, "Ok, I've got it. I regret that I never asked out Tommy Gilespe in the seventh grade."

"Don't have that problem anymore, do you?" Asuka chided.

"That's _why_ I don't have that problem," Angelica said proudly, "I swore I would never let another chance slip past me without doing anything about it." She smiled at Kaworu.

"A good philosophy," the Fifth said quietly. He took a breath, "I suppose my only regret is that I did not come to know you all sooner."

"How sweet," Hikari said… but Asuka noticed that she seemed to be growing nervous.

-Like she's building herself up,- the redhead thought as Hikari took a drink of water, chewing the ice unconsciously.

"I regret that it's two years and not four… or six…" Shinji said quietly.

Asuka blinked. –Why is Hikari blushing?- she thought. Dismissing the thought, she turned to Shinji, "Well, we'll just have to keep it going," she said, leaning forward for a kiss.

"Oh God…" Touji muttered, "get a room." He grinned as Asuka glared at him, scratching her cheek with her middle finger. "What about you, Red? What do you regret?"

"I regret that I didn't kill you for kissing me at that party last year," she answered darkly.

"Hey," the Fourth replied, "I was drunk… and the hair clips made me think you were Hikari."

"Whatever," the redhead said, waving a hand, "you knew what you were doing… freak. That's why you got a lap full of ice-water."

"I have one…" Hikari interjected softly.

"Yeah?" Asuka said, leaning forward with great interest… and so missing the tension that instantly filled her companion.

"I regret that I…" Hikari hesitated as she looked at Shinji, and finally she dropped her eyes to the table, finishing weakly, "that I don't see you guys more often…"

"That's so lame," Asuka said with a laugh, "I thought you were going to say you regretted that Stooge-boy is the only guy you've ever slept with."

"I don't regret that anymore…" Hikari whispered, flushing deeply, "will you excuse me?"

As she rose, Asuka frowned. "Geez… it's not that big a deal…"

Touji shrugged, "You know she gets embarrassed easily, Devilgirl," he said, "don't know why you're surprised."

"Oh, shut up stooge," Asuka retorted, "I'm still in shock over her deciding that you were worth more than a five-minute shower fantasy."

Angelica and Kaworu laughed as the Second and Fourth continued to fight.

Shinji… said nothing.

**

Kensuke approached the silently brooding figure in the EVA cages hesitantly.

"Commander?" he began, looking around. "Rei? Are you ok?"

The blue-haired girl looked from Unit 00 to the Section Two agent. "I am… ok, Kensuke. Thank you," she said, turning back to the object of her scrutiny.

He came up beside her. "It's late…" he said, "do you want me to escort you back to your apartment before I go off duty?"

"That won't be necessary," she replied softly, "I have much to do before I may go home…" –So much…-

"Do you… need any help?" he offered, his voice hopeful.

"I do not think you can assist me," she said, a touch of sadness creeping into her voice, "but you are kind to ask."

"Rei…" he said hesitantly, "I…" –Damn…- he thought as he fumbled for words, -why can't I say it?-

He knew why, though. The reasons why he could not reveal his attraction to the blue-haired girl were numerous. Not only was she his commanding officer, she was also a Child... and one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. How could he ever hope to win her attention?

-He desires to be close to me…- Rei thought, stealing a sidelong glance at the young man from the corner of her eye, -Mister Kaji was correct in that assessment… but can I allow that? With everything that I must do?-

Finally, Kensuke cleared his throat, "Umm… I was wondering if you would…" again he fumbled for words, ultimately losing the fight, "allow me some time off…"

-Do I want him close to me?- she thought. "Of course, Kensuke," she said quietly, closing her eyes, "you have earned it." –It would be… complicated…-

He studied her for a moment, then slowly reached out, his hand trembling.

Finally, he let it fall to his side, unable to touch her. "Goodnight Rei…" he said softly, "is there anything I can do for you before I go?"

She shook her head. –Allowing one close to your heart allows for the risk of being hurt…- she thought, -but could that hurt possibly be worse than the pain of loneliness?-

After a moment of silence, Kensuke sighed and turned for the door.

"Stay…"

He froze as that one word, almost less than a whisper, reached his ears. He turned, but Rei was still facing the blue mecha, her eyes closed. –Did I imagine it?- he thought.

Slowly, he walked back to where she stood.

Saying nothing, he reached out again… this time making contact.

He thought Rei let out a small gasp, or sigh… but he couldn't be sure.

He couldn't tell, because the sound of his heartbeat was too loud in his ears… threatening to deafen him as her hand slowly (so very slowly) clasped his…

Continued…

Author's notes: no, Kensuke getting together with Rei was not just a 'oh, these two are alone, why not slap them together' move – it was actually ((cue sinister music)) the main point of this story!! Hahahahah. Well, no… not really… but it was one of the original plot points when I began. I didn't want to rush it, though, so I tried to build up to it slowly. Hope I did it right. ^_^

Ryoma, Ryoma, he's our man! If he can't pre-read it, umm… well… I'll be screwed. ^_^ Thanks man. 

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	6. Regroup

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 6

Regroup

By Random1377

"So you're saying… we should expect them every _week_?"

Rei stood in front of the assembled EVA pilots, dressed in her full Commander's uniform. "I am not saying that, Pilot Klashnikov," she replied coolly, "though it might be that way. What I am saying is our research indicates that the angels have ended their period of dormancy, and they will resume their assault… we must be prepared."

"Twenty-four hour alert seems excessive," the Russian pointed out, "I mean… we all know why we're here, but making all of us stay that close? Isn't that overkill?"

"Perhaps," Rei admitted, "but I would rather be prepared for any eventuality. Wouldn't you?"

"What about our families?" Veronique Yamato inquired, "Should we be preparing them to move?"

"That will not be necessary," the blue-haired girl replied, meeting the Tenth Child's eyes levelly, "I am not saying that there is no cause for concern… but if all of you perform to the best of your abilities, everyone should be just fine." She smiled gently, "Including your husband."

The French pilot did not seem entirely convinced, but she nodded reluctantly.

"I apologize," Rei said quietly, "but we must be on guard. The angels are growing more powerful and more intelligent…" she scanned the gathered pilots, making sure she had their attention, "I do not want to see any more of you harmed."

"When is Xiang going to be released?" Melissa Aims asked, "Her brother keeps calling me, I can't make up stories forever."

The First sighed as she studied the Twelfth Child's features. "I do not know," she said finally, "but I understand she is in good condition."

-This is not going well,- she thought as the American girl pondered this, -they are scared… confused. I need them to be alert and prepared.-

"I dropped in on Xiang," Shinji said from the back row, "she said to tell everyone not to worry about her because she's getting better treatment than any of us."

Rei allowed herself a mental sigh as the others relaxed, and sought out Guteriez, thinking, -He is the only one that has seen her… how will he react to Shinji's ploy?-

The Hispanic man looked at Shinji with an odd expression for a moment, until the Third met his gaze and shook his head minutely. Finally, the Sixth nodded almost imperceptibly and looked away.

"You guys are the biggest bunch of pansies I've ever seen," Asuka said from Shinji's side, "I mean really… why you would want to be that far from the action is beyond me." She shook her head, "All I know is that when the next angel gets here, my Unit 02 is going to be the one to take it out."

"That old thing?" Mira LeBeau piped up, "What do you think you're gonna do?" she snorted, "Scream it to death? Unit 02 doesn't even have wings!"

Asuka glared at the Thirteenth. "My Unit was the basis for all of you rookie's hunks of crap, I don't _need _wings to kick an angel's ass…" she broke into a wicked grin, "and didn't I hear you crying over the tac-net when the angel attacked, _Last_ Child?"

"You shut up!" Mira snapped, "I wasn't crying!"

"Souryu," Rei interjected smoothly, "I would like to have you on first watch tonight, then Shinji, then myself. That way, an experienced pilot will be on at all times."

"Makes sense," Asuka said with a shrug, "but what about David and Angelica? Couldn't they do it just as easily?"

"That is my order, Souryu," Rei replied levelly, "but to answer your question, they will be first and second watch tomorrow, with LeBeau on third."

Asuka sighed, "Whatever Wonder-" she cut herself off as Rei's mouth compressed into a thin line, "Yes, Commander…" she corrected herself, offering a mock bow, "you're the boss."

"Thank you all for your time," Rei said, bowing formally, "you are dismissed."

As the pilots headed for the door, talking in small clusters, Shinji approached her. "Can't I do second watch tomorrow?" he asked, his tone pleading, "I was gonna go out with Wu Lin and David tonight."

-I know,- the blue-haired girl thought, -that is why you are on.- To Shinji she said, "I am sorry, but the schedule is based on combat experience and time logged… I need you tonight, Shinji. I am sorry…"

"Besides which," Asuka said, coming up behind the Third Child and putting her arms around his chest, "I was going to ask you to cancel that anyway… I wanna make up for those six months we lost."

Shinji sighed as she kissed his neck. "Ok, I'll ask them if they can do it Sunday then…" he said, turning to kiss Asuka briefly before heading off to catch the other Children.

"Do not worry," Rei said quietly as Asuka frowned, "they will be on duty that night…"

"They will?" Asuka blinked, "I thought David was on tomorrow?"

"Schedules change," the blue-haired girl replied coolly, stepping past the Second and heading for the door.

The redhead watched her leave with a mixture of gratitude and anger on her face. "Don't know why she has to butt in…" she mumbled as she started for the door, "I could have found a way to stop him from going out…"

But secretly, she was glad for the help.

-One way or the other, honey,- she thought grimly, her hand clenching into a fist at her side, -one way or the other…-

**

Reiko Kaji stood pondering the situation at hand. Namely: it was near bedtime, Daddy had gotten home from work but was now out running some errands, and Mommy was talking on the phone.

Last night had been fun. She had gotten to go to Nozomi's house _and_ Yurika's house. And to top it all off, Mommy and Daddy had come to pick her up – together! _AND_ they were smiling.

If asked just then, Reiko would tell you that the day prior had been one of the best she had ever had. It wasn't often that she got to spend the whole day with two friends… and it was even less often that she got to see Mommy and Daddy as close as they had been – usually one or the other was working.

When she stopped to think about it, she realized it was only one day out of five or six that they were all together.

"Mommy…" she said, conveniently forgetting the standing rule not to bother grownups on the phone, "I'm bored…"

"Just a minute, honey," Misato said absently, "go play in your room for a minute, k?"

"I did already," Reiko said, pulling on her mother's sleeve, "I already played in my room, Mommy.

The thought process of a four-year-old is interestingly finite. Once something is done… it's done – there is no going back and doing _more_ (unless, of course, it's something their parents don't want them doing).

"I'll be off in a sec," the purple-haired woman said, exasperated, "stop pestering."

"I'm not pestering," the little girl replied, clenching her eyes closed and screwing up her face, "I'm _booooooorrred_!"

"Hang on a sec," Misato muttered into the mouthpiece, "honey, Mommy's on an important call… go… pick out a movie to watch or something. It's almost bedtime anyway."

"I don't wanna watch a movie," Reiko pouted, "I wanna make brownies."

The thought process of the parent of a four-year-old is also rather finite. Or rather, the patience-level of an already irritated parent is finite – especially when listening to the sound of their whining offspring.

"_GO PLAY!!!_" the Operations Director hollered.

The young girl's eyes widened, and her bottom lip began to tremble.

"Shit," Misato whispered, "I have to go… Reiko's having a meltdown… yeah, I'll talk to you about it later… sorry…"

She hung up just as her daughter exploded into tears.

"Shhh…" the older woman said soothingly, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell…"

As was usual, the little girl was not so easily calmed. She clung to her mother and wept as if she had just been told that there was no Santa Claus and Christmas was the next day.

Misato sighed, stroking the girl's purple locks. "You know what I think?" she asked gently, "I think you're so tired you can't even stay calm. Let's get some 'jamas on you and I'll read you a story."

The little girl pulled away, rubbing her eyes and stammering, "D-Daddy s-said I could s-stay up until h-he got h-_hoooooooooooome_!!"

Misato flinched as her daughter's sentence ended in a high-pitched wail. "Daddy's going to be late," she said quietly, "now come on and get your 'jamas on before-"

She was interrupted as the angel alarm began to sound.

Reiko's tears were forgotten as her mother leapt to her feet, grabbing her jacket and keys.

Misato headed for the door, muttering under her breath, "I can be there in ten minutes if I-"

"Mommy?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. Turning slowly, she found her daughter standing where she'd left her in the middle of the room, her eyes wide and confused.

-I'm the worst mother _ever_!- Misato thought, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. –God… she looks so small…- "Come on, honey…" she said, kneeling and holding her arms out.

"Where are we going?" Reiko asked, wiping her running nose absently as she went to her mother's arms.

"Somewhere safe," Misato whispered, pausing a minute to kiss her girl's cheek before standing.

Reiko nodded as they went out the door, "Love you Mommy," she said, sensing her mother's agitation, "I'm sorry I was crying…"

"It's ok, honey…" Misato replied, smiling as she wiped a tear from her eye with the back of her hand, "I love you too…"

As they drove to the nearest shelter, Misato kept looking in the rearview mirror… wondering if she would ever be able to leave her little angel alone again.

**

The girl's locker room was in turmoil as the pilots struggled to get their plugsuits on.

"I was having the best dream," Mira sighed, pulling her arm out of her suit and turning it over so it faced the right way, "I was with this really cute guy… and things were just getting good…"

"Dreams?" Veronique snorted, unbuttoning her shirt, "I was with my husband… keep your dreams, I'll take the real thing any day…"

Melissa flushed, "You guys are awful," she whispered.

"Nothing wrong with getting it on," Angelica said, smirking as the other American turned a deeper shade of crimson, "it's only natural." Her eyes widened in surprise as Asuka ran through the door.

"Hey Souryu," Mira said, smiling as the redhead pushed past her, "weren't you and Ikari off, like, an hour ago? How did you get here so fa-"

"Mind your own fucking business, LeBeau," Asuka snapped as she opened her locker.

"Easy, tiger," Angelica said, lowering her voice as she noted that the Second Child didn't need to un-tuck her shirt, "hey… how much do you guys do it, anyway?"

"As much as possible," Asuka mumbled, stripping out of her clothes and grabbing a plugsuit.

"I know you just got back," the Ninth said quietly, looking around to make sure no one was listening, "but Asuka, geez… if you do it all now, then-"

"This isn't the time!" Asuka hissed, "It's… it's complicated, Angie…"

Angelica blinked at the desperation in her friend's voice. "Tell me sometime, k?" she asked, squeezing Asuka's shoulder gently, "I'll always listen."

"Yeah… sure…" the redhead replied, pulling the top of her suit up. –Sure…- she thought bitterly, -I can explain to you the intricacies of a six-year, up and down relationship… and while I'm at it, I'll spell out all of my fears, insecurities, and abandonment issues – that sound like a fun conversation?-

Angelica watched in silence as her friend yanked her suit the rest of the way on and pressurized it.

"Come on, you losers," Asuka said, heading for the EVA cages, "you were here when I got here and you're still not ready… fucking rookies."

The other girls (especially Mira) hurried to finish getting ready as the Second Child disappeared through the door leading to the cages.

Angelica considered the door as it swung shut, then sighed and finished getting her suit on.

**

"Target acquired," Rei said softly, "please confirm status…"

"No AT field detected yet," Maya's voice came back to her, "proceed at your own discretion, Commander."

"Guteriez, approach from the right…" the blue-haired girl said after a moment's thought, "Nagisa, take the right… I will approach directly."

"The other pilots are preparing for launch," Maya said, "you should have backup in under three minutes."

"Understood," Rei replied, "since Major Kaji has not reported in yet, I will coordinate the attack myself. We will ascertain the target's capabilities and pull back should it prove too resilient."

As the two white EVAs began to circle around the slowly advancing creature, she gripped her controls tighter. –'They are coming…'- she thought, remembering Sandelphon's words, -'they are coming, Mother… to complete the trials and ascend. They are beyond what you have faced before… and though you are the Mother, they will not show you mercy…'-

"Unit 02 standing by," Asuka's voice came to her, followed a moment later by Shinji's, indicating his readiness, "awaiting launch instructions, Commander."

Rei checked the distance between her and the angel. "Unit 01, launch and stand ready for base defense…" she said, studying the creature for signs of a core, "Unit 02, launch and stand ready on the long-range positron rifle." She nodded to herself as she gave the Second and Third their assignments, knowing that they should have been reversed, since Shinji's aim was better and Asuka was a better fighter up close… but that they would be happier this way.

-Shinji longs to protect,- she thought, tensing slightly as the angel stopped its advance, seeming to regard the three approaching EVAs, -Asuka longs to attack. And ultimately, the differences are not so much that they would endanger the others…-

"Misses Ibuki," she said, opening Unit 00's shoulder holster and drawing its progressive knife, "as the other Units are prepared, launch them as you see fit. We are commencing our attack."

As the brown-haired head of the E-division acknowledged, Rei willed the blue mecha forward. "05, 06… engage!"

The two white EVAs dropped from the sky in perfect unison, aiming for the sides of the large, slug-shaped creature.

"Pattern blue!!" Maya called out as they neared it, "AT field detected!"

Rei's mouth turned down as the two mass-production EVAs were unable to pull back… and slammed headlong into the angel's AT field, rebounding and careening away.

The angel reared back, revealing a rather sizable mouth lined with sharp-looking teeth.

"Unit 02," she called, "open fire."

A bolt of dazzling green energy streaked over her head, but dissipated as it encountered the angel's AT field.

As the redhead loosed a string of German curses, Rei narrowed her eyes. "I need to get closer…" she said thoughtfully, "I have found its core. Units 05 and 06, regroup and approach the angel from the front. Spread your AT fields as you get within one-hundred meters."

Pushing the control yokes forward, she nodded approvingly as the two white EVAs swooped in over her, hugging the ground to avoid any unexpected attacks from the large beast they were rushing.

"AT field is still holding," Maya announced.

"With two of ours countering it?" Rei asked wonderingly, –How can it be so strong?- She shook her head, "05, 06… bring your lances to bear." 

The Lance of Longinus was the most powerful weapon NERV had in its possession… and the duplicate lances that the mass-production EVAs carried were almost as powerful – but they were not perfect. The copying process had only been sixty-percent complete when NERV had seized the white units, and the secret of the process was lost when SEELE member eleven (a brilliant bio-geneticist) was killed.

Therefore… they had some quirks.

"My lance isn't holding its form!" Alejandro cried out as his Unit pulled out of its dive.

"Energy reading detected inside target," Maya announced, "it's about to shoot something…"

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Unit 00, engaging," she said smoothly, "05… 06… maintain your fields, 02, fire on my mark."

"Rei!" Shinji yelled, "Wait for us. It doesn't stand a chance against all the units – _nothing_ could!"

"It must be defeated," the blue-haired girl replied, "we cannot take the risk of its attack penetrating headquarters."

Unit 00 hefted the knife in its hand and charged the angel.

"Asuka… _now!_"

As the blue mecha neared the creature, its AT field began to react with the angel's. At the same time, the positron rifle in Unit 02's grip fired again, the bolt of energy meeting… and smashing through the angel's field.

"AT field is down!" Maya cried out, "Energy reading still gaining… Commander, whatever you're going to do – do it!"

As she neared the angel, Rei's eyes widened. "Its mouth," she whispered.

The angel's mouth was glowing a brilliant white… Rei knew she didn't have much time left. –I can't get there fast enough,- she thought, pushing Unit 00 to move faster, -only one chance…-

"Commander!!" Maya's voice sounded panicked, "Get out of there!"

Rei willed her machine to pull it's arm back, letting out a soft cry as she whipped it forward again, releasing the progressive knife as the hand came in line with the angel's core.

She watched it leave Unit 00's hand just as the light in the angel's mouth flared even brighter… and searing pain washed over her body.

Voices reached her in a confused rush.

"Energy release is over-"

"00's been hit!"

"Commander! Comman-"

"_Rei!!!!"_

All of the voices abruptly went silent… as cool, soothing darkness enfolded her…

Continued…

Author's notes: what? You think I wouldn't kill Rei off? Huh?? HUH??? Just ask her – she can be replaced! :P

Ryoma is my pre-reader, I met him first online. Making limericks isn't easy, I rarely find the time. Thanks man. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	7. Rearrange

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 7

Rearrange

By Random1377

"She's coming around."

Rei opened her eyes, wincing slightly as the bright, unwavering light of a hospital room filled her vision. She looked around to find Hines, Touji, Asuka, Shinji, and Misato clustered around her bed.

"Angel…?" she whispered, struggling to sit up.

"Easy, Commander…" Hines said soothingly, "the angel's been beaten, thanks to your quick thinking."

"Stupid thinking is more like it," Asuka said from the other side of the room, "why didn't you just tell us what to do, dummy?"

"Don't get mad because she was faster than you, Devilgirl," Touji spoke up, "it's not her fault you're so slow."

"Both of you shut up," Misato said angrily, "this is a hospital, not a daycare!"

"Was anyone… harmed…?" Rei asked, leaning back in the bed to collect her strength.

"Just you," Misato replied, "you took the brunt of the attack. Unit 00 will be out of commission for a while," she added, "but it's recoverable."

Rei nodded.

There was no love lost between her and the huge blue mecha. When she first tried to pilot it, it had rejected her, ejecting the plug in an enclosed space and causing her a great deal of pain. But over the years, the beast within had grown less aggressive – as if it now accepted that she was the pilot and there was nothing it could do about it.

-Or else it is waiting for an opportune time to strike at me…- she thought.

"You're going to be here a while," Misato said after a moment of quiet, "your body is in no condition to allow you to pilot… or run NERV. So…"

She let the thought trail off.

Rei nodded. As Commander of NERV, she had certain duties and responsibilities. If she was unable to fulfill them – and she wasn't dead – she was required to name a stand-in.

"As Acting Commander…" the blue-haired girl said softly, "I name Pilot Souryu…"

Pandemonium filled the room as everyone began talking at once.

"Me? I can't-"

"Why her? She's not qualif-"

"I think Hines would be better suited to-"

Rei waited patiently until the room quieted, as everyone slowly realized she wasn't talking. "I am the Commander," she said firmly, meeting everyone's gaze one by one, stopping on Asuka's, "my decision is final." She held up a hand as the others drew breath to begin their arguments anew. "Final," she said flatly, "Now I need to speak to the Acting Commander in private. Excuse us please."

As the other's filed out one at a time, Asuka tapped her foot, waiting until they were alone before bursting out, "What the hell's the big idea, Wondergirl? You're trying to make me look like an idiot, aren't you?!"

"Who would you have me choose?" Rei replied calmly.

"What about Hines?" Asuka asked after a brief pause, "Isn't that his job?"

Rei met the other girl's eyes steadily, "Tell me… do you trust Hines?"

Asuka blinked. "I don't know," she said, shrugging, "he _is_ second in command, right? I mean, he must have been chosen for a reason."

"I did not choose him," Rei said softly, "he was selected when I was appointed Commander… and I have not been able to interact with him outside of NERV due to my responsibilities and his family obligations."

"But you must know something about him," Asuka pressed, feeling like she was swimming upstream, "you've worked with him for three years."

"He is a good man," the First Child admitted, "but he is, for lack of a better term, an office man. He is not disciplined enough to handle the pressures of a command environment."

"Why me?" the redhead asked finally, dropping her eyes, "You know I don't like you…"

Rei smiled faintly and sat up with some effort. "That is one reason I chose you," she said, "no one will think that it was because we are friends… but there are other reasons that it could not be anyone else."

"Like?" Asuka asked, folding her arms.

The injured girl considered this for a minute before replying. "Alright," she said slowly, "you are Commander… you should be aware of these things." She took a deep breath, "Suzuhara is much smarter and more cunning than he lets on… but he is a follower. He is content to let others make the decisions and just go along with it." She eyed the Second briefly before continuing.

"Major Kaji is an excellent tactician… but her first obligation is to her child. As for Hines," the blue-haired girl said reluctantly, "though he is very learned, I fear he lacks the command instinct required for the position."

"And Shinji?" Asuka said quietly, "Or one of the other pilots?"

Rei looked away. "I only know the other pilots peripherally… and none of them is qualified or has the combat experience you have."

Asuka waited a full minute, but the First said nothing more. "Shinji…" she said softly, "why not him? I know you wouldn't let something like what others thought stop you from choosing him, so don't even give me that."

"You are his lover," Rei replied gently, leaning back in her bed, "you are as aware of his shortcomings as I am… more so, I would think."

"What shortcomings?" Asuka asked, raising herself to her full height, "Shinji is an excellent pilot, he's good at tactics, everyone likes him, he… what?"

Rei was shaking her head sadly. "Shinji has all of the qualifications to be an excellent commander…"

"Then why-"

"Do not allow your love for him to blind you," the blue-haired girl interjected, "you know what I am talking about when I say shortcomings."

Asuka averted her eyes. "He's… getting better," she said awkwardly.

Rei sighed quietly. "If he is or if he is not," she said gently, "the fact remains that he is currently struggling with an addiction… and not suited for command. It must be you, Asuka."

The redhead stared at the floor for a moment before saying softly, "How long do I have to do this?"

"I have not talked to the doctors yet," the blue-haired girl said quietly, "but I would imagine a week… perhaps two."

"Two weeks…" Asuka reflected, "that's a long time."

"I believe in you," Rei said firmly, "I know you can do-"

"Shut up!" Asuka snapped, surprising the other girl, "I don't need your endorsement – I know I can do it!" She turned away and started for the door, "You just worry about getting better. I don't have time to play Commander forever… I have my own life to live."

"I understand," the First said softly, "and I thank you for-"

"I don't need your gratitude either," Asuka cut her off, "what I need is time with-" she broke off, shaking her head angrily, "Hurry up and get better…"

As she left, Rei closed her eyes. –Forgive me,- she thought, -I know this is a hard time…-

__

"I think Ikari should be pulled off the project…"

"Hold on…" she whispered, "both of you… hold on…"

She opened her eyes as she heard the door open again.

"Kensuke..." she said, her voice pleased.

"Rei…" the brown-haired man replied, crossing to her bedside, "I'm glad you're ok…"

"Thank you," she said softly, "I am… glad you came to-"

"Forgive me for this," he whispered, cutting her off.

Before she could ask what he meant, he leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips.

After a moment, she tilted her head to the side, returning his soft kiss as her eyes slowly slipped closed.

-This is how it feels,- she thought, bringing her arms up to encircle his neck, -this is how it feels when they care for you…-

She decided that it was something she could get used to.

**

"What's the matter, babe?" Touji asked, stifling a yawn, "Come back to bed…"

Hikari looked over her shoulder at the man in her bed. "Nothing, honey…" she said, forcing a smile, "I was just thinking I'd make us some lunch."

He smiled and held his arms out to her, "Not yet, ok?" he said.

She hesitated for a moment, then went to him, sighing as he folded his arms around her.

"You don't… regret me being the only one, do you?" Touji asked after a minute of silence.

Hikari took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No," she said honestly, "like I told Asuka… I don't regret that anymore."

"But you used to?" he said quietly.

"Yes…" she admitted, "now I realize how stupid it was to ever regret that…"

"I don't regret anything about us," he said quietly, kissing her bare shoulder, "and I…"

-Oh God…- she thought miserably, sensing the seriousness mingled with hesitation in his voice, -please don't be doing this to me now…-

Her wish went unfulfilled, as her instincts proved to be accurate.

"We've been together for more than four years," Touji began, kissing her cheek gently, "I want to make sure that becomes forever." He put his hand on her chin and raised her eyes to meet his, "I love you Hikari… will you marry me?"

She pulled away and got off the bed, wrapping her arms around herself. –Why now?- she thought, -Why not two months ago? WHY!??-

"I know it's not the most romantic way to ask," he said apologetically, standing up and laying his hands on her shoulders, "but you know I love you… please say yes…"

"It's not that," she said, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand, "it's…" she took a deep breath, turning to face him, "Yes, Touji… of course I'll marry you. I love you."

She closed her eyes as he kissed her, her body shaking with happiness… and guilt.

-God,- she thought, letting him lead her back towards the bed, -I can never tell him now… he wouldn't understand…-

As he slowly laid her down, Hikari began to weep…

**

"Reiko… wake up, honey…" Misato shook the sleeping girl gently, "I need to talk to you…"

"Mmmm…" the little girl moaned, turning over, "tired…"

"Just for a minute, honey…" her mother whispered, pulling her to a sitting position.

"Where's aunt Nozomi?" Reiko asked, rubbing her eyes, "she said we would watch a movie…"

"She went home already, baby," Misato said, smiling gently, "you fell asleep."

"I did?" the girl asked, amazed in spite of the evidence.

"Yup," the purple-haired woman confirmed, "she went home about a half hour ago." She picked Reiko up off the couch, carrying her into her room.

"Why didn't she wake me up?" the little girl inquired tiredly, holding her hands up as her mother pulled her shirt off.

"She knew you were sleepy," Misato said gently, "now run in and potty…"

As the little girl staggered off to the bathroom, her mother sighed. –Shinji was right… she does see Nozomi a lot…- she shook her head, squelching the feelings of guilt that the thought dredged up. –It can't be helped…- she thought, -that's why Kaji and me work opposite shifts. At least she spends _most_ of her days with one of us…-

"Don't forget to wash your hands," she said absently as she heard the toilet flush, "come on, Reiko… I need to tell you something." –Of course,- her train of thought continued, -that means we hardly get to see each other…-

"What, Mommy?" the girl asked, "I want a drink…"

Misato smiled, "In a minute." She said soothingly, pulling a pair of pajamas onto the tired child, "I want to ask you something." She picked her daughter up and sat on her bed, "Last night was pretty scary, huh?" she asked, stroking the girl's purple hair softly.

"I wasn't scared…" Reiko replied, leaning against her mother.

-I was…- Misato thought. To Reiko she said, "I know… you were very brave…" she took a deep breath, "but I was wondering… do you want to go with Yurika to visit her grandma for a little while?"

She waited while the little girl considered this. –It would be best right now,- she thought, -They can watch over her… and she'd be safer in Tokyo-2… but I don't want to _make _her go…-

"Are you going?" Reiko asked curiously.

"No, honey," Misato said, "just you and Yurika and Yurika's mommy."

"Don't wanna…" the girl said tiredly.

"But you'd have fun," her mother replied softly, "you could stay up late and watch movies and-"

"Don't wanna…" Reiko repeated, gripping her mother tighter, "wanna stay here with Mommy… and Daddy… and Shinji… and-"

Misato sighed as her daughter rattled off the names of all of her favorite people, including her stuffed llama, Mitchell (where the girl had come up with this name was still unclear). "But you and Yurika-"

She was cut off as her cell phone rang.

"Kaji," she said, shifting her daughter to rest against her side, "I'm off for four… no, I understand, but… ok… I'll be there in the morning. No… I understand Asu- Commander…" She smiled, "Yeah, you're right… Asuka."

As she hung up the phone, she turned to Reiko, determined to convince her that leaving was best… but the little girl was fast asleep.

"So it's settled then…" she said softly, laying the girl back on her bed and kissing her cheek, "stubborn little monster…"

She smiled, covering the sleeping child with a blanket, then went to the living room to wait up for her husband.

Since she was suddenly back on duty, she knew she would once again be limited on time… and she wanted to spend as much of it with him as she could.

**

"So, enough about me," Angelica said, leaning forward in her chair, "tell me something about you, Nagisa."

"I think you can safely call me Kaworu," the gray-haired boy said, taking a sip of his water, "don't you think so, Miss Bennett?"

The Ninth Child laughed, "Fair enough, Kaworu… makes it easier…"

"Makes what easier?" the Fifth asked curiously.

"Screaming your name," she replied immediately, winking as she took a drink of her wine.

"You do not mince words, do you?" Kaworu said, shaking his head.

"I told you," Angelica answered, laying her hand over his, "I no longer have a problem with going after what I want."

"So I see," he said thoughtfully, "Why are you suddenly interested in me? We have worked together for several years."

She shrugged, "I'm impulsive…"

"Really…" he said, smiling as he studied her face more closely, "has this ever led you to do something you later regretted?"

Her smile faltered for a moment, then she shook her head. "Nah, I try not to let things like regret or second thoughts weigh me down… life's too short."

"Indeed," he replied. "Tell me, then… what are you hoping for, this evening?"

"Think you know," she whispered, bringing his hand to her lips.

"I do not think it would be wise… on our first date…" he said gently, smiling as she ran her mouth over his skin.

"Don't play hard to get," she said with a smile, sliding his forefinger over her bottom teeth, "just go with it… have a little fun, Fifth Child…"

He considered this for a moment, then asked softly, "If I consent… will it end tonight?"

Her smile widened, "Kinda depends on how good you are… doesn't it?"

"So we are clear," he said quietly, holding her eyes with his, "You would like to leave here… go to your apartment… and engage in sexual intercourse – strictly for the purpose of physical gratification… correct?"

"You make it sound so… tawdry…" she said, flushing slightly.

"Isn't it?" he inquired.

"Not to me," she retorted, "I think people should do what makes them feel good…" she leaned forward in her chair, "and right now, you make me feel good."

"And tomorrow?" he asked softly.

"Why worry about tomorrow?" she said, exasperated.

"I would be unhappy if you were to regret it," he said, caressing her palm with his finger.

"I won't," she said, shivering slightly at his soft touch, "I told you, I never-"

"I think you are lying about that," he cut her off quietly, "but that is your prerogative…"

"So… yes?" she whispered, her heart rate accelerating at the thought of finally being alone with the gorgeous boy with the hypnotic red eyes.

He smiled. "If that is what you truly wish for…" he said softly.

She pondered this for a moment, then looked away from him, seeking out their waiter and raising her hand. 

"Check please."

Continued…

Author's notes: mmmm… Asuka in black… next chapter… ((drool drool)). Ahem, anyway… hope you like it so far.

Ryoma must be getting tired of me… but that's ok, he's still pre-reading!! WAHAHAHAHHAHAHA ((choke)) ((wheeze)) ((faint)) Thanks man. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	8. Relent

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 8

Relent

By Random1377

"Hand me my uniform."

Shinji looked up from the report he was reading, "Hmm?"

"I said hand me my uniform," Asuka repeated, leaning out of the bathroom, "I've got to get ready, honey…"

He sighed, nodding as he stood up from the couch.

Walking to the bedroom, he frowned. –I don't know if I can watch her put this on…- he thought grimly.

He picked up the uniform with some distaste. It had been a shock to him to see Rei wear it the first time, but he had gotten used to that.

Now… his lover was going to wear it.

"Here…" he whispered, holding the garment out to her, "Commander…"

She took it with almost as much reluctance as he offered it. "I don't want to do this…" she whispered, staring at the black coat and pants, "God, I _really_ don't want to do this…"

"I know, honey…" he said gently, "and I don't want you too…"

She sighed, "Out in a sec…"

As the door swung closed, he started for the living room. "Take your time…" he mumbled to himself, "I'm in no rush…"

Before he could sit back down, the phone rang.

"Ikari," he said absently, his mind still pondering the thought of Asuka dressed as the commander of NERV.

"Shinji," the voice on the other end of the line derailed his train of thought, "it's me… I need to talk to you…"

"Now?" he whispered, looking at the bathroom door, "this isn't a good time…"

"Tonight?" the woman replied, "I… it has to be soon, Shinji…"

He took a deep breath, "Seven o'clock…" he said, willing the woman to hang up, "I'll be home alone then…"

"Seven…" the voice replied hesitantly, "ok, I'll be there…"

He hung up just as Asuka opened the bathroom door, "Who was that?" she inquired, straightening her coat.

"David," Shinji replied, "wanted to know if I was free tonight…"

"Isn't he on shift?" Asuka asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah," Shinji answered, cursing himself for choosing the wrong person, "but he wanted to know if I could feed his dog."

"Oh," the redhead replied, relaxing slightly, "how do I look?"

He looked her up and down, then looked away. "Like the Commander…" he said quietly.

Asuka looked at the clock, then back to Shinji's face, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.

After a moment, she said, "If it bothers you that much, honey… take it off me…"

He blinked and looked up at her, "Huh?"

"I've got a little time," she whispered, smiling seductively, "if the uniform bothers you so much… why don't you take it off of me?"

He smiled as she headed for the bedroom, looking back over her shoulder expectantly as she reached the door. "Is that an order?" he asked.

"You're damn right," she said softly, "but you'd better hurry… I can't be late my first day."

He nodded, "Aye aye, Ma'am!" he said, saluting her smartly.

As he headed towards her, Asuka turned away, smiling sadly. –Stay mine…- she thought, closing her eyes as his hands came around her, seeking the buttons on the black outfit, -stay mine forever, Shinji… don't leave me… please…-

Several moments later, the uniform lay on the floor… mute witness to the urgent coupling that took place less than five feet from where it had been discarded.

**

Misato looked up as Asuka came onto the bridge.

"Commander on deck!" she called out.

"Thank you, Major," Asuka said, heading for the assembled pilots.

Misato nodded and fell in at her side. "How's Shinji?" she asked softly, grinning as the younger women nearly stumbled.

"Oh shut up," the redhead grumbled, "I'm on time…"

Misato said nothing… but her smile spoke volumes.

"Good morning," Asuka said, coming to a halt in front of the group, "protocol requires that a newly appointed Commander address the pilots… so here we are." She took a deep breath, "I'll make it brief, since we all have things to do-"

"Like Ikari," Mira whispered, smirking as the Second Child stopped in mid-sentence.

-Already?- Asuka thought, -I didn't think I would get a chance like this until later.- "Pilot LeBeau," she said, caught halfway between relief and frustration, "step forward."

As Commander, she knew she could not have anyone question her, so she would need to show her strength. On the one hand, it was nice to get it out of the way immediately… on the other hand, it would have to be done with care, lest she should alienate all of the pilots.

"Yes, Commander?" Mira asked, stepping forward.

Asuka noted that the French girl was still smirking.

"Let's get this out of the way," she said quietly, speaking to Mira alone, "you don't like me, I don't like you… everyone knows it…"

"I don't know what you mean, Commander," Mira replied sweetly, "I don't dislike-"

"Shut… up…" Asuka whispered, leaning close to the woman, "I will _not_ tolerate insubordination."

"Oh, you're so tough, Souryu," the French woman replied, "just because the _real_ Commander made a bad choice, you think you're all high and-"

"Think carefully before you finish that sentence," Asuka whispered, smiling softly, "I'll say it again, LeBeau… I don't give a good goddamn if you like me or not – my job isn't to be liked by you."

"Is there a point to all this?" Mira said, looking bored, "Or are you just going to establish how much I don't like you?"

"The point?" Asuka said, dropping her voice even lower, "The point, LeBeau, is that I'm not the only one paying attention to what you say and do…"

Mira blinked, casting her eyes around at the assembled pilots… and Misato, and Hines, and all the bridge crew. She swallowed, feeling suddenly very self-conscious, but said nothing.

"You're sync-ratio is decent," Asuka pressed on, "but nothing compared to Klashnikov or Yamato…" she smiled, showing the girl all of her teeth, "and there _are_ other pilot candidates…"

"You wouldn't…" Mira whispered, horrified, "I'm a Child, I'm-"

"Replaceable…" the redhead cut her off briskly, "out of all the pilots, only Shinji can't be replaced."

This was true. For reasons Maya still could not quite explain, Unit 01 would accept no one but the Third Child.

Mira lowered her eyes, her face going rather pale.

"I don't care what you think of me," Asuka concluded, "but so long as I wear this jacket, you _will_ respect me. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes… Commander…" Mira replied, standing stiffly at attention and staring straight ahead.

"Good… now step back in line, please…" as the French woman did what she was told, Asuka surveyed the pilots, "as I was saying, I don't have anything to add to the orders Ayanami has standing."

She turned to Hines, whispering something quietly, then thanking him as he handed her a sheet of paper.

"The only change to the duty rosters is as follows," she said, making a notation on the paper, "Guteriez, you are now third watch, and LeBeau will take first, since her scores on the last procedure drill were highest." She suppressed a smile as the French woman thanked her, "That is all. You are dismissed."

As the pilots dispersed, Misato nodded. "Well done," she said approvingly, "dress the girl down, then make her thank you for giving her the choice assignment… showing her – and everyone else – that you won't take her shit… but you'll still treat her fairly."

Asuka shrugged. "She knew what I was doing… not that I care, but she's not going to go out of her way for me."

"No," Misato conceded, "but I'll bet she'll show you some respect… at least in front of the others."

Asuka nodded and headed for the command dais. "I just want to get through this…" she said softly, "if Wondergirl hadn't gone and gotten hurt… ooo!! I could just strangle her!"

"Easy…" Misato said soothingly, "it's not like she did it on purpose… and it's just for a little while."

"I know," Asuka sighed, "but I won't get to be with Shinji…"

The purple-haired woman considered this for a moment, wondering if she should ask the younger woman why she was so possessive all of the sudden.

Really, Shinji should have been there for the address… but it wasn't exactly a secret whose bed he shared, and no one really wanted to make an issue out of it. He would be kept up to speed.

"Anything you need, Commander?" Misato said, finally deciding that the redhead had enough on her mind without her prying into her personal affairs.

"Yeah, actually," Asuka said after a moment, "get me the video files of the last two angel attacks. I want to study them."

Misato nodded, smiling faintly, "Looking to kill some time?"

Asuka snorted, "Yeah… that's it. No, I just want to see how we could have fought better… both fights were sloppy."

The Operations Director's smile widened, "How very Commander-like of you."

"Oh shut up…" Asuka said tiredly.

Misato bowed, "Yes, Commander…"

Before Asuka could reply (or throw anything) the purple-haired woman departed, smiling as she thought that Rei had definitely made the right choice.

**

"Commander? Are you awake?" Maya opened the door slowly, peering in.

"I am, Misses Ibuki," Rei replied, "but I am not the Commander."

The brown-haired woman smiled. "You're still Commander," she said, stepping into the room, "even if you're off for a little while." She took a seat by the red-eyed girl's bedside, "And what I have is only for your eyes."

Rei sighed, "Understood…" she said, taking the plain, manila envelope the woman offered her, "these are the test results?"

Maya nodded, "Yes… the prototype has been fitted to Unit 11, and the pilot has been trained in its use."

"He understands it is still in the test-stage, correct?" the blue-haired girl asked, leafing through the report.

"He does," Maya confirmed, "and as you can see, we have had three successful tests."

"But never in a combat scenario," Rei pointed out, closing the folder, "and there have been several failures."

"Well, yes," the brown-haired tech admitted, "but I believe that the unit is stable. Sempai designed it very well… I just wish she had gotten to see it in action."

"You… miss her…" the younger woman said gently, handing the folder back.

"I do…" Maya said softly, "I looked up to her… I respected her… I might have even loved her, somehow…"

"It is… unfortunate that she chose the route that she did…" Rei said, "she was a very talented scientist."

"I was her understudy," the brown-haired woman pointed out, meeting Rei's eyes, "I still feel like I need to apologize for her actions, some days…"

"You could not have known," Rei replied, "no one foresaw her actions… or her suicide…"

Maya nodded reluctantly, "Maybe… but if I had known, maybe you would still…" she didn't quite know how to finish.

And truly, there was not much to say. How do you apologize for another person's actions… when the nature of the crime (and the one it was perpetrated against) was so unusual?

"It is a good thing, I believe," Rei said after a moment of reflection, "in an odd way – it was a gift."

"I don't think that's how she meant it," Maya said sadly, "when she pushed that button… destroying… all of them, I don't think she wanted you to feel good about it."

"Perhaps not," the blue-haired girl acknowledged, "but as a result, I have more respect for life… my own, especially…"

"What was it like?" the older woman asked suddenly, leaning forward with an intense look on her face, "To know you could never die?"

Rei pondered this for a moment, then shook her head. "Terrible…" she whispered, "my life meant nothing. I knew that I could be replaced, so I did not bother with things like personal safety… or making friends… or striving to better myself. What was the point? Any time, I could be killed, and another would take my place – remembering only what the Commander chose to allow it to remember…"

She looked away, "Nothing that made me _me_ would have survived," she said softly, "it was a living purgatory." She turned back to Maya, smiling softly, "I am sure that you did not want to know that much, Misses Ibuki… but now perhaps you can understand why, when I think of Doctor Akagi, I don't think of the woman that destroyed the dummy plug system and the other bodies… I think of the woman that set me free…"

Maya nodded thoughtful, thinking that she understood the enigmatic girl much better now. "Thank you for sharing that with me," she said quietly, "it can't have been easy to tell me that."

Rei shrugged. "No one has asked me how I felt about her before," she said, "and I do not mind talking about myself anymore…"

"I'm glad," Maya said, smiling gently, "I need to go finish the installation of the unit, but I would like to talk to you some more later… if you don't mind."

"You would?" the blue-haired girl asked softly, "Are there more tests to review?"

"No," the older woman said, smiling gently, "I just want to talk to you."

Rei considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I would… like that."

"That is," Maya said with a grin, "if I can get past your guard dog."

The blue-haired girl frowned for a moment, not understanding, then smiled gently. "Mister Aida is very dedicated to his job," she said softly, unable to meet the other woman's eyes, "he does not leave his post except to sleep… and I believe he is not sleeping much."

"Why doesn't he come inside?" Maya inquired, "It would be a whole lot more comfortable for both of you to have someone to talk to."

Rei blushed slightly, twisting at her bed sheets. "He does not think it would be… appropriate," she said softly.

The brown-haired tech smiled (she knew how the young Section Two agent felt for his superior – even a blind man could see that) and answered, "Well, I'll tell him you're resting comfortably."

Rei nodded and leaned back as the older woman left, closing her eyes.

As Maya passed Kensuke, she paused. "Commander Ayanami wants to see you," she said, suppressing a smile, "you'd better see what she needs."

Kensuke blinked, then nodded. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, unable to hide the faint smile that appeared on his lips.

As he opened the door, Maya walked away, humming quietly to herself.

-Children…- she thought with a smile, -what would they do without us older folks around to give them these little pushes?-

**

Shinji stood pacing back and forth in the hallway leading to the front of the apartment.

It was ten to seven.

She would be there soon.

-How can I talk to her?- he thought, folding his arms over his chest as he walked, -It's awkward enough every time I see her… I can't keep going on like this, wondering what she wants…-

His head came up as the doorbell rang, and he took a deep breath.

"Hello, Shinji…"

He smiled at her. "Hello… Hikari."

Hikari looked around surreptitiously, "Can I… come in?" she asked quietly, "I don't want anyone to see me standing here…"

Who would see her, Shinji didn't know, but he nodded and stepped out of her way, leading her into the kitchen. "What did you need to talk to me about?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay light.

"You know," she said, unable to meet his eyes, "don't make me say it…"

He nodded. "Yeah…" he admitted, "I kinda thought you would want to-"

"It can't _ever_ happen again, Shinji…" she said, her voice shaking as she cut him off, "it shouldn't have happened in the first place…"

He nodded, feeling relieved, "I know…" he said softly, putting his arms around her, "and you're right…"

She tensed as he held her, then relaxed against him "And Touji can't ever know…" she whispered, "he's… not as strong as people think, Shinji… it would hurt him."

"Neither is Asuka," Shinji replied, "it's best if _no one_ knows… agreed?"

She nodded quickly. "Thank you, Shinji…" she said after a moment, "I'm sorry I got us into this…"

"It's ok," he said gently, holding her close to him, "I was there too…"

"Yes," she said, "but you didn't want to, and I made you, and I-"

"Shhh…" he cut her off, "I didn't do anything I didn't want to do…"

She blushed, "Asuka's lucky," she said, stepping back.

"Touji's luckier," he answered sadly, "I think he got the better deal…"

Before she could ask what he meant, he gently took her by the elbow and led her towards the door.

As he opened it, he leaned forward, "Only you and I will ever know about this…" he whispered, almost softer than she could hear, "marry Touji and try to forget all about this. He's a good man, Hikari… let's put this behind us, ok?"

She took a deep, wavering breath and nodded. "Just you and me…" she whispered, smiling halfheartedly, "our secret…"

He smiled. –Too many secrets,- he thought, closing the door as the future Misses Suzuhara moved off down the hallway, -way too many…-

Sighing, Shinji rested his head against the door… deciding to forgo the partying that night –Who knows what I might start mumbling about?- he thought, -I'll just make dinner for Asuka… and go on pretending that everything is just fine…-

"Well…" he whispered, heading towards the kitchen, "maybe just one – to get me by…"

And for the first time in many months… he actually managed to hold to his one-drink limit.

Continued…

Reworked scene

This scene was changed, as I thought it was a little too graphic, and didn't _quite_ fit the tone of the rest of the story. I've included the original here because I thought some people might be interested in knowing how it might have gone ((shrug))

Misato looked up as Asuka came onto the bridge.

"Commander on deck!" she called out.

"Thank you, Major," Asuka said, heading for the assembled pilots.

"A moment, Commander," Misato said quickly, approaching the girl.

"What is it?" the redhead asked, "I've got to get-"

"Shhh…" Misato whispered, reaching out, "you have… something on your cheek…"

Asuka flushed bright red as the purple-haired woman wiped the evidence of her recent activity away. "Thanks…" she said quietly.

"Don't mention it," Misato said, grimacing as she wiped her hand on a Kleenex, "to anyone… ever…"

Asuka nodded, flushing deeper, and headed to address the Children…

Author's notes: think you've got it all worked out? Well… you might, I'm not that subtle. ^_^ But hopefully, I've still got a couple surprises left…

How many different ways can I thank Ryoma for pre-reading this story?? Guess we'll see. ^_^ Thanks man.

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	9. Release

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 9

Release

By Random1377

"All posts report normal, Commander… nothing's going on but the rent…"

Asuka nodded absently, "Thank you, Mister Hyouga," she replied, "carry on."

The technician nodded and tuned back to his desk. This had become a regular routine over the past three days. Nothing too much had happened, and as far as Makoto was concerned, that was just fine.

As for the newly appointed Acting Commander, she was seething.

__

"Female has been identified as Hikari Horaki…"

"How long was she in there?"

"No more than five minutes, ma'am."

-Feeding Klashnikov's dog…- she thought bitterly, -he doesn't even have a dog anymore, he gave it away after the first attack!-

She had been in a state of duality ever since receiving that phone call from the Section Two agent she had assigned to watch Shinji (he _was_ irreplaceable, after all), going from fiery rage to icy fear almost from moment to moment.

Moment to moment… when her mind wasn't occupied with her myriad other duties, of course.

-I can't believe she would do this to me,- Asuka thought, frowning, -she's my best friend!!- Her frown changed to a look of concern, -What if he leaves me for her? Then what? I'll be alone… all alone…-

"Something wrong, Commander?" Hines inquired as the young redhead uttered a frustrated growl.

"No," she said, forcing her voice to stay calm, "just wondering how much longer I have to sit here."

"Well, I have your schedule…" the man offered.

"I know it, but thanks," she replied, rubbing her temples.

How could she not know it? She'd studied it, looking for any time she might have more than five minutes to 'talk' to her boyfriend (of course… her idea of talking sometimes corresponded to other's idea of screaming).

Needless to say, she had not found it yet.

When she had gotten home the first night, she had been too angry and confused to broach the subject with him. Not that he had been awake anyway. She had returned to the apartment to find him asleep, sitting at the kitchen table… surrounded by the dinner he had cooked her.

She had woken him… and led him to the bedroom, where they had made love for the second time that day.

Only those close to her would understand this seemingly odd behavior. Only the people she trusted could comprehend that sex was (to Asuka, anyway) the truest form of control. It kept him close to her… and in spite of what he had done, it was the only way she could think to bind him.

Not that she wouldn't have slept with him a great deal had things been normal… she _was_ human, after all – and very passionate about her lover.

But she might not have gone to such great lengths to make sure he was _always_ with her.

-Tonight,- she thought, trying to push the subject from her mind, -I'll talk to him about it tonight…-

The second day of her command had been so packed with learning the ins and outs of the position that she hadn't even had time for more than a goodbye kiss in the morning. And she had been so tired that night that she hadn't been able to do more than slip into bed beside him, wrap her arms around him, and pass out.

The third day, though…

"Pilot Ikari is still off duty tonight, correct?" Asuka asked, "No sync-tests, no guard duty – no anything, right?"

Hines blinked. "Not since last time you asked," he said, smiling slightly, "and any tests or changes in duty would have to be authorized by you, so…"

She nodded grimly to herself. –I said I won't let you go,- she thought, -but I deserve to know what's going on… you owe me that much.-

Asuka sighed and closed her eyes as the seemingly endless morning stretched on towards afternoon.

**

Kensuke sat watching over the sleeping girl.

-So beautiful,- he thought, admiring her in the soft, early-evening light.

After Maya's subtle push, he had overcome his fear that someone would consider it improper, and now spent his days at her bedside. Talking to her, listening to the ever-improving reports on her condition… and occasionally holding her hand.

He had not gathered the courage to kiss her again after the one brief (though intense) kiss they had shared the first time he had visited her, and she seemed as shy as he was on the subject – if not more so.

Kensuke Aida had changed considerably in the six years he had known the blue-haired girl. He had grown taller, now standing five feet eight inches. He had built himself up with a strict routine of diet and exercise, fueled by the determination to lose the 'smallfry' nickname.

His voice had lost its childish waver, smoothing out into a rich, deep timbre. And he had even changed his glasses from the owlish round frames to smaller, more discreet ones… though he still refused to wear contacts – reasoning that his glasses were a part of what made him _him_, and he no longer wanted to deny who he was.

"You've changed too," he whispered softly, laying his hand over hers, "now you smile…"

She had changed other ways, as well… but these were minor details as far as he was concerned. It was her, soft, fragile smile that had drawn him to her in the first place, and as his infatuation with her had grown into something deeper, he became determined to be the one to make that smile appear. -Now if I could just work up the nerve… then I could ask you to--

"Nnnn…" the blue-haired girl moaned suddenly, breaking him from his thoughts, "coming… they're coming…"

"What?" Kensuke asked, leaning closer to her.

She shook her head, still sleeping… though no longer soundly. "They're… coming…" she whispered again, her breath suddenly coming in short, ragged pants.

Abruptly she sat up in bed, her eyes springing open as she struggled to catch her breath.

At the exact same moment… the angel alarm began to sound.

**

"What do you mean, there's nothing there?" Asuka demanded, her voice irritated.

"Just what I said," Maya replied over the tac-net, "there's definitely a blue pattern in the area… but we have no visual data…"

"Show me," the redhead answered. –Heaven forbid I should get any time with Shinji…- she thought, angrily, -if it isn't my duty, it's his… if it isn't his… it's a fucking angel…-

"I don't see anything, Commander," Shinji's voice came back to her as the visual of the target area came up on her screen, "your orders?"

-Tell me why you slept with my best friend,- she thought absently, -that's your order.- Out loud, she replied, "You, Klashnikov, LeBeau, Yamato, and me will advance… all remaining mass-produced Units circle the area… Suzuhara, you're on base-defense. Everyone clear?"

-At least it's not too close to home this time,- she thought, -wonder why it activated its field so far away?-

The thought made her uneasy. It felt too much like a trap.

As they neared the area that the Magi insisted contained an angel, Asuka tried to push the nagging thoughts of Shinji and Hikari out of her mind. –He said it would never happen again…- she reminded herself, -should I trust him? I have to trust him… I love him, but he has to be honest with me, too, I mean--

Her thought broke off as Veronique's voice reached her, "I'm having some trouble with my left arm," she said, "it's… I dunno, sluggish."

"Can you still function?" Asuka asked, "I need you here."

"Yes Ma'am," the French woman replied, "it's just kinda weird is all…"

"I'll have it inspected when you return," Maya interjected, "I noticed some minor irregularities after the last maintenance check, but I didn't have time to inspect it. Shouldn't be a problem, but I'll-"

"Hold on…" Asuka said, "thought I saw something…"

"Where?" David asked, "I don't see anything…"

"Everyone stop moving," Asuka said cautiously, "something's not right…"

"I think you're losing it, Commander," Mira said, touching Unit 13 down in the middle of the target area, "see? There's nothing-"

"Watch out!!" Shinji's cry came a moment too late as something flashed out and caught Unit 13 in the upper arm… sending the white mecha's weapon, and a good portion of its arm, crashing to the ground.

Mira screamed in pain as her machine reported the loss of the limb directly to her mind, and she launched the mecha back into the air, flapping its broad wings desperately… and barely avoiding a second attack.

"What the fuck?" David cried, "There's nothing there!!"

"Tell me something, Maya!!" Asuka said, scanning the empty field.

"I… I don't know," Maya replied, "it seems to-"

"Commander!!" Veronique cut in, "I can't move!"

Asuka turned… and her eyes widened.

Unit 10 was covered by a mass of glowing lines, almost like circuits… and it was twitching as if it had its finger caught in an electrical outlet.

"Pattern blue!" Makoto announced, "There's another angel, and it's… good God, its _IN_ Unit 10!"

Before Asuka could decide what to do, a movement caught her eye. She dropped Unit 02 to its knees as a long, scythe-like arm shot out at her.

"Permission to fire!" David called out, "Commander! Give me the order!"

"What?" Asuka asked, backing Unit 02 up, "What are you talking about?"

"You…don't know??" he replied, sounding horrified, "The gun! The new gun!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Asuka shouted, "But if you have something, use it! Don't sit around and ask me for permission!"

"Roger!" David called.

Asuka dropped to the side as the scythe appeared again, whickering through the airspace she had just vacated.

"Firing… now!" David cried.

From the corner of her eye, Asuka saw Unit 11 bring its right arm to bear… and suddenly a bolt of green fire arced from its forearm as the Handheld Positron Pistol, Mark I, received its first combat firing.

The bolt splashed against the angel's AT field, but Asuka noticed that the field seemed to waver.

"Fire again!" she ordered, "Now!" 

David protested, "But it needs time to coo-"

"NOW!" Asuka screamed.

Another bolt of energy shot from the white mecha, this time punching through the AT field and stopping seemingly in mid-air.

A high-pitched keening sound came from the area, and Asuka thought she could see the slouching outline of a huge creature in the green afterglow of the weapon's discharge.

"The AT field is gone," Maya announced, "but there's no explosion…"

Before Asuka could consider this, David's voice reached her.

"I've got feedback in the weapon," he said tensely, "shutting down to avoid detonation…"

"It did it's job," Asuka said grimly, "Veronique, what is your situation?"

The French woman's voice sounded stressed, "I can't get my Unit to move… I think the angel's trying to take it over…"

"I think so too," Maya cut in, "the Magi calculate seventy-eight percent chance that it will succeed within four minutes…" she paused, then added hesitantly, "it is my opinion that Unit 10 is a loss…"

"Activate the self-destruct," Asuka said flatly, "set it for three minutes, then eject."

"Yes Ma'am," Veronique said, her voice shaking.

"Unit 10 is gonna blow," Asuka announced, "everyone pull back."

As the rest of the Children moved away from the infested EVA, Veronique's voice burst out, "I can't eject!! I can't GET OUT!!!"

"WHAT?" Asuka shouted, "Try it again! Keep pulling the lever!"

"Unit 10 has something on its back," Mira's voice came back to her, "some kind of webbing… it's covering the entry plug completely."

"_Damnit!_" Asuka screamed, thinking fast, "Shinji, get Veronique out of there – tear the plug out!"

"On it," Shinji replied, his voice grim.

"Hurry," Asuka urged, "she's only got two minutes and five seconds left…"

The purple mecha raced towards the writhing white one, its pilot's hands wrapped tightly around the control yokes.

Before it could reach the stricken Unit's side, however…

"Pattern blue!" Maya cried out, "The other angel's not dead!"

Asuka watched in horror as Unit 01 rebounded off of something unseen, careening to the ground.

"Shinji!!" she cried. As she willed Unit 02 to stop and turn, Unit 09 dropped out of the sky, tackling the red machine and hurling it to the ground. "Get off me!!" the redhead screamed, the last thoughts of infidelity blasted from her mind in light of the danger of losing him in a much more tangible way, "Shinji! _SHINJI!!_"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Angelica shouted, spreading Unit 09's wings over both of their machines, "You'll get yourself killed!!!"

"Sixty seconds," Maya announced, wondering how the time had gone by so fast.

"I don't care!!" Asuka screamed, "Get off me! _SHINJI!!!!_"

"God, help me!" Veronique screamed, "Get me out! Somebody _HELP ME_!!"

Shinji brought Unit 01 to its feet, looking around wildly for the invisible angel.

"Forty seconds," Maya said, her voice tense, "God… we can't stop the destruct sequence!"

Shinji made his move, pushing forward on the yokes and hoping that the angel would be more interested in sneaking up from behind than stopping him from reaching the downed EVA.

He was to be disappointed.

Asuka watched in horror as the angel's scythe-like arm appeared out of nowhere, slamming into Unit 01's shoulder and hurling it back to the ground.

Everything seemed to slow down.

Unit 01 grabbed the scythe and tried to free itself… Unit 02 struggled to get out from under Unit 09 and help its pilot's lover… Unit 10 curled in on itself like a child with a stomachache… and all the while, Maya continued the inexorable countdown.

"Gotcha!" Shinji cried, bringing Unit 01's fist down on the angel's arm and breaking it off.

For Asuka, the next ten seconds would be forever etched into her memory.

Unit 01… rising to its feet and seeming to grab thin-air as the angel's blood marked its location.

Unit 10's chest plate splitting open to reveal its core… which was glowing a bright, angry red.

Maya's voice coming over the tac-net… sounding incredibly hollow, "Her core's collapsing… it's past critical…"

Veronique's voice… hysterically sobbing one word, "_TOMMY!!!_"

Her own voice… screaming another.

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!_"

And the deafening explosion that marked the death of Unit 10…

Continued…

Author's notes: ummm… I can't think of any. Writing that ending took too much out of me.

Thanks _again_ to Ryoma for pre-reading. I don't owe you one… I owe you ((counts on fingers)) a lot. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	10. Regain

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 10

Regain

By Random1377

"And to the last… she thought of her loved ones…"

Misato closed her eyes as Asuka continued the short eulogy, wishing she could be anywhere else.

"And even though she's gone," the redhead went on, "we have a duty to honor her memory… and carry on."

Asuka turned away from the assembled pilots, and they rose to their feet.

"We salute you," she whispered, bowing her head over the empty casket, "you who have gone before us… you who have made the ultimate sacrifice… you who will always be carried next to our hearts."

All of the pilots saluted, holding the stance until Asuka finally joined them.

"Godspeed, Veronique…" she whispered, "you will be missed…"

She closed her eyes, trying not to hear the sobbing of the woman's husband as the casket was slowly lowered into the earth.

One by one, the pilots approached, offering a final word, or simply a nod of respect to the woman that had lost her life battling the angels.

"Asuka…"

The acting Commander opened her eyes as a hand rested on her shoulder. "What is it, Angie?" she asked, her voice hollow.

"It wasn't your fault…" her friend whispered, squeezing gently, "you know that, right?"

Asuka took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I gave the order," she replied, still replaying the fight in her mind, "I could have found another way…"

"Don't be stupid," Misato said, coming up on the young woman's other side, "you made a combat decision… anyone would have done the same. And if you had hesitated, Unit 10 would have been taken completely over… then one of the other Children would have had to destroy it – and she would have ended up dying at the hands of one of her friends."

"She died terrified, Misato…" Asuka whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "screaming her husband's name… begging someone to help her – to save her… and I'm the one who ordered her to blow Unit 10 up… I killed her…"

Misato turned the girl around and took hold of her shoulders. "Now you listen to me," she said fiercely, "you are the Commander of _NERV. _It's your job to defeat the angels, and you _DID YOUR JOB!!_"

Asuka looked from her former guardian to her friend, then down at the ground. "I'm… not allowed to cry," she whispered, "a Commander isn't supposed to feel bad about using the tools at her disposal to get the job done. Wondergirl wouldn't cry… Commander Ikari wouldn't have cried… so I can't either…"

"Asuka…" the purple-haired woman said gently, "a Commander is human too…"

"Don't try and make me feel better," the redhead replied tiredly, "not with Veronique… and Shinji… just don't, ok?"

"Shinji'll be just fine," Angelica said, smiling softly, "he's… got a lot of stamina. Besides, he's regained consciousness."

"For five minutes," Asuka said, wrapping her arms around herself, "and I wasn't even with him."

"Yeah," Angelica admitted, "but he _did_ wake up. The doctors said he'd be back out for a day or two due to the trauma… but they said him waking up when he did was a really good thing."

"I should be with him," Asuka whispered, "not pretending to be Commander…"

"Pull yourself together," Misato said, folding her arms and staring the redhead down, "you're alive… and Shinji's alive… and everyone else is alive but her – don't cheapen her death by wallowing in self-pity. She was a good woman, and you're making her sacrifice worthless!"

"A needless sacrifice," Asuka said, starting to turn away, "if I-"

Misato's slap came like a bolt of lightning, catching the Second Child across the cheek with a sharp crack. "Shut up!" she snapped, "You're pissing all over her memory. This isn't about you, goddamnit!"

Asuka put a hand on her cheek, staring at the enraged Operations Director with wide eyes.

"Yes, she's dead," Misato growled, "and yes, you did give the order that destroyed Unit 10 – but you didn't know that one would cause the other! Fuck, if I had been in charge, I would have given the very same command! Now stop all this whining – it's pissing me off!"

"I should have let you lead," Asuka whispered softly.

"Well, you didn't," the purple-haired woman replied, "and I didn't question your order, or your reasoning… but now you need to pull it together and get back on track." She smiled suddenly, "Do you think Rei would let this stop her?"

"Fuck you," the other woman retorted, her eyes flashing, "don't you dare compare me to that doll."

"Maybe we should all just take a deep breath," Angelica suggested, "maybe calm down juuuuust a bit…"

Both women glared at her, and she raised her hands defensively, taking a step back.

"Or not."

Asuka sighed. "I'm going to check on Shinji," she announced, "then I'm going to the command deck… then I'm going home. Hines can handle the clean up."

Misato nodded. "Fair enough," she said quietly, "but think about what I said, Asuka… don't let this own you. Be thankful that you're alive."

The redhead pondered this for a moment, finally offering the other woman a small smile. "I'm going to see Shinji…" she said softly, "and I'm going to kiss him – I don't care what the doctor's say. Because I _am_ glad to be alive, Misato… I just wish she could be too…"

Angelica watched in silence as her friend walked off, envying her the love that she had… and remembering the gentle arms that had held her close in her darkest hour.

"You look thoughtful," Misato observed.

"Just remembering a mistake I made," the Ninth Child replied, staring at the path the redhead had taken.

"Care to share?" the Operations Director offered, "Kaji's home with Reiko… so I'm buying."

Angelica turned to her and smiled sadly. "No," she answered.

Misato sighed as the young woman headed towards her car. –Guess I'll be drinking alone, then…- she thought.

She paused to take a final look at the plain, as of yet unmarked grave… shivering as she considered how easily it could have been someone she loved – or herself – that lost their life.

Shaking herself, she walked away, going to seek refuge in the depths of inebriation… much as her adopted son might have had he not be injured.

Though that was a connection that wouldn't be made for her for several days…

**

"She is… taking it hard?" Rei inquired softly.

"Yeah," Maya replied, scrubbing a hand through her hair, "she feels like it was her fault…"

"I see…" the blue-haired girl said thoughtfully.

"The Positron Pistol was damaged," the brown-haired woman said after a moment, longing to change the subject, "it can be repaired… but it will take some time."

"And time, we do not seem to have…" Rei said sadly, "two angels at once… all of our research says this should be impossible."

"Well," Maya said, getting to her feet, "let's hope it's not three next time…"

"Indeed," the red-eyed girl answered, "thank you for visiting me, Misses Ibuki… it was pleasant."

"I'll give you a dollar if you call me Maya," the older woman said lightly.

"I…" Rei found herself at a loss for words.

"Never mind," Maya said, waving a hand, "old joke. I'll talk to you later, Rei."

"I look forward to it…"

As the brown-haired woman departed, Kensuke came back into the room. Maya had been forced to ask him to leave, as some of the information was deemed top secret… but he had not strayed far.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired, taking his usual seat by her bed, "Do you need anything?"

Rei considered this. "I do not require anything," she said quietly, "but I would like to ask something, Kensuke…"

"What is it?" he wondered, curious to find out why she was studying him so intently.

"What do you feel for me?" she asked softly.

"You uhhh… don't beat around the bush, do you?" he chuckled, blushing slightly.

"I see no reason to," the blue-haired girl said levelly, "I believe that honesty should be used whenever possible…"

His eyes widened as she gently laid her hand over his… the first time she had touched him without him touching her first.

"I like you Kensuke," she said plainly, "I do not see a reason to conceal that…"

"People… might find it inappropriate…" he pointed out, staring at her pale hand as if hypnotized.

"I am not saying that I want you to announce your feelings to the entire staff," she whispered, "but I would like to know what they are…"

Slowly he looked up into her crimson eyes. "I like you Rei…" he said quietly, "I like you a lot…"

She nodded, "I suspected that when you kissed me," she said, entirely serious, "but I wanted to be certain that that was not merely a reaction to seeing your commanding officer wounded."

He smiled, "If it was Ikari in that bed," he said, winking, "I wouldn't have kissed him… believe me."

"What about Asuka?" Rei inquired.

"You're serious," Kensuke said softly.

"I am curious," she corrected him, "I merely wanted to know if it was emotion… or sense of duty that motivated you to kiss me…"

"And have I answered your question satisfactorily?" he inquired, shaking his head in wonder. –You'd have to have a pretty strong sense of duty to kiss your commander over it,- he thought, -every time I think she's getting a little more normal… she throws me a curveball…-

"Yes," she answered, "however… this leads me to a second."

He raised an eyebrow. "Ask away," he said. –Can't be any more awkward than the first…- he thought wryly.

Of _course_ he was wrong.

"Why have you not kissed me again?"

"Uhhh…" he looked away.

"Do you no longer wish to be physical with me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"No, I do!" he said quickly, "I just… I didn't know if you wanted that…"

"You are considerate," she said, smiling softly, "and kind. I will tell you, then…"

His breath caught as she stared into his eyes.

"I am not… experienced in interacting with people on a personal level," she said slowly, "but I do like you, Kensuke, and since you like me as well, I believe that we should explore the possibility of a relationship."

In spite of his best efforts, Kensuke could not contain a small laugh.

"What is amusing?" Rei inquired, confused.

"Nothing, really…" he said, smiling gently, "it's just that… the way you put it sounds so clinical and detached."

She flushed slightly, "As I said, I am not experienced in-"

He leaned forward and kissed her, cutting her off in mid-sentence. 

The second kiss was much longer than the first, but no less passionate. When it finally broke, Rei was flushed a brilliant shade of red. "Kensuke…" she breathed, "that… I…"

"Shhh…" he whispered, pressing his finger against her lips, "let's not talk for a while, ok?" he said gently, "Sometimes interacting with people means not saying anything…"

She nodded slowly, then closed her eyes as he began leaning down once more.

**

Asuka sighed as she pulled her keys from her pocket. 

"What a crappy day," she muttered, "first all the shit at work… and now the elevator's broken…"

She came up short as she reached the top stair and spotted Hikari waiting for her outside the apartment.

"Hey…" the brown-haired girl said softly, "I heard about what happened from Touji… is Shinji… going to be ok?"

Asuka was down the hall and in Hikari's face before the other girl could draw another breath. "Worried, are you?" the redhead hissed as all of her pain and confusion rushed in on her, "I know about you two."

"It was only once," Hikari whispered, trying unsuccessfully to meet her friend's eyes, "just that one time…"

"And that makes it alright??" Asuka whispered, stunned.

"No," Hikari admitted, "it doesn't. I was confused, and I had had a fight with Touji, and I-"

"So you felt like it was ok to fuck my boyfriend!?" the redhead snapped.

Hikari's eyes widened, and she paled. "W-what?" she gasped.

"Was it good, Hikari?" Asuka asked, wiping her eyes and willing her voice not to break, "Did he stare into your eyes while you were doing it?" her voice became unstable in spite of her efforts, "Like he stares into mine…" she sobbed.

Hikari looked horrified, "Asuka… I-"

"Shut up!!" Asuka screamed, "I thought you were my friend! I can't believe you would do this to me, Hikari!"

"We didn't…" Hikari forced herself to speak that word, knowing it would get her friend's attention, "I didn't… fuck him, Asuka… I… kissed him…"

"What are you talking about?" Asuka demanded, still scrubbing angrily at her eyes, "Shinji told me he slept with someone else!"

"He did??" Hikari asked, her eyes wide.

"It… wasn't you?" Asuka whispered, more confused than she had ever been in her life.

"No," the brown-haired woman replied, "I…" she took a deep breath, staring at the floor as she whispered. "I had a fight with Touji," she began, "and I went out… determined to find a guy to sleep with. 'I'll show him,' I thought…" she uttered a short, bitter laugh, tears starting to run down her face, "can you believe that? Me… going out to find someone to have sex with… just to prove that I could…"

"Must have been some fight," Asuka laughed, still wiping away her tears, "so… what happened?"

Hikari sighed, looking miserable. "I… went out to a bar… and I got drunk." She looked away, "I've never been that drunk in my life, Asuka… I just wanted to let it all go." She shook herself, "Shinji came into the bar," her voice began trembling, but she forced herself to go on, "and we started talking. I asked him to take me home, since I was so hammered, and he was still sober…"

This surprised Asuka. Usually, Shinji got right to the drinking when he went to a bar. –He must have been really worried about her…- she thought.

"Anyway," Hikari went on, "when we got back to my place, I invited him in, and I… oh, God, Asuka… I'm so sorry… I kissed him… hard…" She closed her eyes, remembering the night in question, "I stuck my tongue in his mouth, and I… I grabbed his hand." She covered her mouth, stifling a sob, "I took his hand and I put it on my breast… and I told him to take me…"

Asuka's eyes widened. She could hardly imagine Hikari drunk… but the thought of the always-proper woman _demanding_ sex was almost more than her mind could fathom. "What happened?" Asuka asked, thinking she already knew.

"He… moved his hand down to my side," the other girl whispered, "and he kissed me… really softly," she opened her eyes, a soft smile appearing at the edges of her mouth, "and he told me, 'I don't think this is really what you want…'"

Her own tears now forgotten, Asuka embraced her friend. "Tell me the rest," she said gently.

Hikari nodded. "I told him I did," she said miserably, "I said I was tired of being a one-man girl… and I wanted him to make me dirty." She leaned her head against Asuka's shoulder, "I wanted to be dirty," she whispered, "I was so tired of being a good girl all the time…"

"I never knew," Asuka said quietly.

"Well…" Hikari finished, "he told me he wouldn't do that… he said he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he stained me… and that I wouldn't be able to live with myself, either. He was right," she sighed, "I can hardly stand to look at myself in the mirror now… and all we did was kiss…" She met her friend's eyes, "Asuka, I'm so sorry… I betrayed you. I won't ask you to forgive me for that… but can you still be my friend? Please?"

Asuka smiled, "Of course…" she said soothingly, "it was just a kiss…"

"It wasn't, though…" Hikari said desperately, "I wanted it to be more… and I shouldn't have even done _that_ much…"

"Well, it didn't go further," Asuka said quietly, frowning as she considered that it _did_ with someone else, -Who, though…?-

"I'm sorry…" Hikari whispered again.

"Good," Asuka said teasingly, "maybe this'll teach you to keep your hands off what's mine!"

"Asuka!" Hikari gasped, flushing deeply, "I…"

"Oh hush," the redhead, smiling broadly, "let's stop talking about it now…"

"Ok…" the other girl replied, wiping her eyes.

They lapsed into silence, each caught up in their own thoughts.

Hikari thinking that she was lucky for having one of the best friends in the whole world… Asuka thinking that, in light of Hikari's description of his actions, perhaps there was more to her lover's affair than he was letting on.

And both of them thinking that they were glad they had each other.

Continued…

Author's notes: Ha… didn't see that coming, did you? Well, maybe you did… like I said, I'm not that subtle. :P

Ryoma once again gets thanks for pre-reading. Cuz without him… this story wouldn't be as good. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	11. Resume

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 11

Resume

By Random1377

"It's about damn time you woke up…"

Shinji felt as if his mouth had not had moisture in it for months… and for some odd reason, though his eyes were open, he still could not see anything but white.

The first problem was partially remedied when someone's mouth pressed firmly against his, kissing him gently, but deeply and thoroughly.

"What… happened?" he managed, when his mouth was no longer occupied.

"Unit 10…"

He recognized the voice as Asuka's. "Veronique?" he asked quietly.

"She's gone, Shinji…" the redhead answered, her voice shaking a bit, "and you would have been too if the other angel hadn't been between you and her Unit."

"Saved… by an angel," Shinji mused, "how… appropriate. Why can't I see? Am I…" he took a steadying breath, "am I blind, Asuka?"

"No," she replied, "but the doctors were worried your eyes might be over-strained by witnessing the blast… so they bandaged them, just to be safe. The bandages come off tomorrow."

He nodded. "And my arm?" he inquired, "why can't I move my left arm? Is it broken?"

"Hardly," Asuka laughed, "it's just… being used."

"Being…" he trailed off as he became aware of another, smaller body in the bed with him. "Reiko?"

"She insisted on staying by you," Asuka said quietly, "she's been here more than I have. She's asleep right now…"

"I see."

"She loves you very much," Asuka whispered, caressing his cheek gently, "_I_ love you very much, Shinji…"

"I love you too," he replied, "what's wrong, Asuka… you sound sad…"

"It's…" she debated lying to him. It would be very easy to just say the destruction of Unit 10 was weighing on her… but if she wanted honesty from him, she would need to give it in return.

"I talked to Hikari," Asuka said, letting out a gusty sigh, "I know about… you two…"

"Oh," he replied, fighting a rising tide of panic. –She'll leave now…- he thought, frantically trying to think of a way to make her stay, -she knows I've betrayed her… not just once, but twice…-

"Why didn't you sleep with her?" Asuka asked, "You did it with someone else later, why not Hikari?"

"She was drunk…" Shinji whispered.

Her brow furrowed, "That's it?" she said softly, her voice quavering, "the only reason you didn't is because she was drunk? So if she was sober and came on to you like that, you-"

"No," he cut her off gently, "that's not the only reason." He sighed, "Hikari's your best friend… I knew that neither of us would ever be able to forget it if we did anything, and more importantly, I knew _you_ would never be able to forgive her… and neither would Touji. I would have been destroying three relationships instead of…" his voice broke, "instead of just one…"

"So the other girl…" she said after a moment, her voice a bit calmer, "she has no problems forgetting it? Was it one of your little bar girls?"

"No…" he replied, his voice faint, "no… you know her… and I think she regrets it as much as I do – not more than I do, because no one could ever regret anything that much…"

He felt her hand slowly stroke his cheek. "Will you tell me who it was?" she asked softly.

"Please don't ask me too…" he begged, "it's bad enough that it happened… don't make it worse by confronting her…"

"I wouldn-"

"I know you, Asuka…" he cut her off gently, "you don't think you would right now… but every time you saw her, it would bother you… until you couldn't stand it anymore…"

There was a brief silence. "Maybe…" she conceded finally, "ok… I won't ask anymore… but I wanted to tell you something…"

"What?" he asked, holding his breath. –Here it comes…- he thought, -'I don't think I can be with you anymore'-

"Thank you for not doing anything more with Hikari… and forcing me to make a decision we would both regret."

"What?" he said, entirely stunned.

"Even though you did touch someone else…" she clarified, "Hikari is my oldest and best friend… if it had been her, I don't think I could have forgiven either one of you…"

He considered this for a moment. "Asuka… I truly am sorry."

"I know you are, baby…" she whispered, kissing him softly, "that's why I love you… that's why I can forgive you. I know you feel bad for what you've done, and I know you won't-"

"Shinji!!"

Shinji felt the weight lift from his arm and reapply itself to his chest. "Re… iko…" he gasped, "can't… breathe…"

If the little girl heard him, she made no sign. "My Shinji!" she giggled, hugging him tighter, "Mineminemine!!"

Finally, she released him, ignoring the huge gasp of relief he gave and chattering for five minutes solid about the things he had missed while he was 'asleep.' Including the details of several romance movies, and the boy Nozomi secretly liked but couldn't tell (but Reiko hoped she would tell), and what they had had for lunch that day.

"Whoa!" Shinji said, reaching out blindly in the direction of the child's voice as she paused to inhale, "Slow down, Koko… your tongue will get tied in a knot!"

He heard Asuka giggle as Reiko responded indignantly, "Nu-uh! And I'm not cocoa!"

Shinji smiled. He knew using the hated nickname would get her to stop.

"I have to get back to my post," Asuka said gently, "I left Hines in charge two hours ago because the doctors told me you would wake any time. I'm sure by now he's pulling out the little bit of hair that he has left. Truly, the man has no threshold for stress…"

"Asuka…" Shinji said quietly as he heard her chair scrape back, "I know I promised I wouldn't say this anymore… and this'll be the last time…" he took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Asuka… for what I did, and for any time I've ever hurt you. I love you…I don't ever want to lose you…"

"You… sound like a romance novel, honey…" Asuka said after a moment… but her voice was low and uneven, "get better soon and come home to me. I love you."

As the door opened and closed, Reiko said, "Grownups are weird…"

"Yes," Shinji said, smiling at his younger sister, "that they are. Now tell me about that one movie… the one with the pink-haired girl that wanted to be a prince."

As the little girl launched into her description, Shinji leaned back. –Maybe things will be ok now…- he thought, -maybe…-

The next day, he would find out for sure…

**

Rei sat in silence, regarding the immense creature.

-Five more…- she thought, -then this will end… and what of me, then? Must I die also?-

The thought did not please her as it did when Commander Ikari was alive. Now she had things to live for… friends… coworkers… love?

-Do I love Kensuke?- she thought idly, -I believe it is too soon to know that…-

It had taken much talking to convince the young man that he could not come with her to this place – and even more to convince the doctors that she was well enough to leave her bed… though they had insisted that she go in a wheelchair, lest she should fall.

"And if I fall…" she whispered quietly, quoting an old song, "will you pick me up… will you dry my tears?"

The creature stirred.

Rei waited as the large being twisted slowly in its tank to face her. 

"Mother…" Sandelphon whispered, "I did not sense you…"

Rei nodded. "I wanted to try something…" she said softly, a note of satisfaction in her voice, "I was concentrating on concealing myself from you."

If the creature had had a mouth, Rei was sure it would have smiled. "You are embracing your true self, Mother… I am pleased…"

Rei paled. "I am human," she whispered, no longer sounding as confident.

"As you say, Mother…" Sandelphon replied.

"Last time we spoke…" the blue-haired girl said hesitantly, "you said that you could feel it when the others were approaching…" she took a deep breath, feeling vaguely ill as she asked, "can I?"

The angel was silent for a moment. "You are the Mother…" she began slowly, "all of your children would be visible to you… if you cast aside that form you have chosen and embrace your true self…"

Rei closed her eyes. "I cannot do that…" she breathed.

In spite of the firmness in her tone, the fact remained that the idea of merging with the huge white body held deeper in Terminal Dogma was somehow appealing. She knew she would feel complete in a way that she never could otherwise… but she also knew the cost – and she was not willing to pay it.

"The feeling is the same for me either way, Mother," the angel said softly, "you are the Mother… no matter what form you choose, and being close to you pleases me… but if you reclaimed your flesh, you would see all that you have been so long denied. You would be whole… and all of your children would flock to you, longing to obey and worsh-"

"That's enough," Rei interrupted, "stop now…"

She was shivering… her soul longing to reunite with the body it was separated from.

"Goodbye," the blue-haired girl said abruptly, turning the chair and rolling it towards the door.

The soft whisper behind her made her pause. "Mother…" Sandelphon said gently, "thank you for visiting me…"

The gratitude in the angel's voice moved Rei more deeply than she would have thought.

She eyed the manual launch lever for a moment. "Would it not be better for you to die?" she asked, her voice soft and almost soothing, "You would be free of your cage… free of the experiments and pain that is caused you…" she reached out, laying a hand on the lever, "would you like that?"

"You are kind, to offer me the choice…" the angel whispered, "life and death are equal to me… but you are my Mother, so I will abide by you decision." It paused for a moment, "Whatever you choose, Mother, I thank you for spending time with your daughter… I love you…"

Rei slowly began to bear down on the lever, then let out a slight gasp. –What am I doing?- she thought, pulling her hand away and staring at it as if it belonged to someone else. 

"I am to live then?" the angel asked quietly.

"You said you loved me…" Rei said quietly, still trying to understand why she had almost destroyed the creature, "you know of love?"

"What I know of emotion," Sandelphon replied, "I learned from observing your Lillim children. I believe that what I feel is what you term love, and it is only right that a daughter should love her Mother, is it not?"

Rei considered this for a moment. "It is proper for a child to love its mother…" she conceded finally, "but I am…" she trailed off.

Sandelphon watched as the blue-haired figure began to roll its odd chair towards the door again. "Goodbye, Mother," she said softly.

"Goodbye…" Rei replied.

Nothing more was said… nothing more needed to be said.

**

"Mmmmm…" Angelica hummed, "that was nice…"

She rolled over, slipping her arms around her companion and kissing his side gently.

"Can we go to your place next time?" she asked quietly, "I'd like to see it…"

Kaworu continued to stare up at the ceiling. "You would not find it pleasant," he replied absently, "it is small and sparsely furnished."

This was a rather sizable understatement, as the apartment in question had NO furnishings of any sort. The only reason Kaworu had an apartment at all was in order to receive mail and have a place to sleep where people would not bother him. When he had first arrived in Tokyo-3, sent by the now-defunct SEELE, he had spent one night in a large, nicely treed park, preferring the outdoors to the cramped quarters he had been given.

It had been awkward to try and explain to his commanding officer, Major Kaji (then Katsuragi) why he was arrested for 'vagrancy'.

"That's ok," Angelica said, sighing contentedly, "I'm sure it's nice…"

If she had thought about it, the brown-haired woman would have expressed her surprise at caring what the Fifth Child's apartment looked like. Normally, in a relationship such as the one they were engaged in, she barely cared what her partner was wearing… but she found that – with him – she cared a bit too much.

She decided that it was going to be time to break it off soon… or ask for more.

"Your apartment is much nicer," Kaworu said thoughtfully, looking around the spacious bedroom of the three-room place, "very… comfortable…"

"Thanks," Angelica said, wondering why such a simple compliment was making her blush. –Don't fall for this guy…- her mind whispered, -sure he's nice, and considerate, and good-looking, and… wait, why shouldn't I fall for him, again?-

"Would you like to make love again?" he asked her quietly, trailing his fingers over her back.

"Mmmmm…" she replied, shivering at the memory of the last time, "maybe in a few minutes… right now I just want to lie here…"

They lapsed into silence for a moment.

"Hey Kaworu," she said finally, "can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he replied.

"I…" she flushed, unused to not saying what was on her mind. –Why should he be different?- she thought. "I was wondering what's going on with you and Shinji…" she finally blurted out. "I know people talk about you… you know…" she closed her mouth, deciding that saying anything more would be pointless.

Kaworu considered this for a moment. "I love Shinji," he replied plainly.

Angelica's breath caught. "You do?" she gasped, "Then why are you here with me?"

"You asked me to be here," he pointed out.

"But… but…" she protested, "do you and him… I mean…"

"Did he and I what?" Kaworu asked.

"Did you sleep with him?" Angelica asked.

"Yes," the gray-haired boy replied, "he was very lonely when I first arrived… I slept with him the first time three days after my arrival."

"Does… Asuka know about this?" the Ninth Child inquired, entirely stunned.

"Certainly… though I only slept with her once, and that was when she was accidentally locked out of her apartment and it was raining," he smiled, "she was most reluctant to do it, but she finally gave in."

"How… how long has it been since you slept with one of them?" Angelica managed to get out, deciding to ask Asuka about _her_ tryst as soon as the chance arose.

"Does it matter?" Kaworu asked after a moment, "Is that what you would like to spend your time discussing? I thought you wanted to make love…"

She considered this for a moment, then shrugged. –Guess it doesn't really matter that much right now,- she thought, -but I'm sure gonna ask Asuka about this! Holding out on me this long!-

Slowly, she leaned up and kissed the red-eyed boy, sliding over until she was on top of him.

As they slowly began for the second time that evening, Angelica forgot about the Second and Third Children… and let herself get swept away by the boy with the gray hair and the gentle touch…

And trying to tell herself that she was _not_ falling in love with him…

**

"Shinji's coming home tomorrow night," Reiko said, talking around a mouthful of takeout Chinese food, "he said he's gonna come by and visit when he gets out."

"Did he?" Misato asked, taking a drink of her beer, "He didn't call to talk to me about it."

"It's a surprise!" the little girl replied happily, "He said he's gonna sneak up and grab you, and you'll scream!"

-Well, I might have…- the purple-haired woman thought with a grin. "Did he say anything else interesting?"

Reiko frowned, considering what (if anything) her brother had said that was interesting. "No," she said finally, "but he said he would try and come by more… cuz he loves me."

Misato set her drink down, assessing the little girl as she resumed shoveling moo goo gai pan into her mouth. "He said that?" she asked, smiling as her daughter nodded, "Well… that's good…"

"He said to tell you sorry, too," Reiko said absently, not noticing the small fragments of dinner that scattered from her mouth.

"For what?" the Operations Director asked with a confused frown, trying to contain an exasperated sigh as she considered the laundry that was already backing up… and now had a small shirt and pants to be added.

"I dunno," the little girl shrugged. "He just said, 'Tell Mommy I'm sorry.'"

Misato pondered this for a minute. "And he's going to visit more?" she asked, earning another nod from the still-eating youth. –God…- she thought, taking another drink, -I was thinking he'd _never_ figure out how much Reiko loves him…-

She sighed, setting her drink down once more. –Now if he would just do something about his dr--

Her thought broke off as she stared down at the beer can nestled comfortably in her hand…

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Reiko asked as her mother stood.

"Nothing, honey…" Misato replied, wondering how many times she had told him to get help for his drinking… how many times she had criticized his judgement and lack of control… how many times she had sworn it would be the _last_ time she would come pick his drunken ass up.

All while having that comfortable, aluminum companion wrapped in her grip.

"Nothing's wrong at all, baby… finish your dinner…"

Reiko nodded, thinking that grownups really _were_ weird… as her mother slowly poured the rest of her drink down the drain.

Continued…

Author's notes: Nope… I'm still not subtle.

Yup, Ryoma still pre-reads for me… so thanks – especially on this one for making some damn fine suggestions. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	12. Repent

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 12

Repent

By Random1377

"So you are saying… we can use this?"

Maya sighed and leaned back in the uncomfortable hospital chair. "Given time, yes," she conceded, "see, we thought at first that the angel was invisible because it was using it's AT field somehow… but when we analyzed what was left of its body, we realized that it had skin similar to that of a chameleon – only much more advanced."

Rei scanned the printout once more. "How much time, Misses Ibuki?" she inquired, "An enhancement like this would be… incalculably advantageous…"

"I'm not sure," the brown-haired woman replied, "if I did nothing else… a month, maybe a month and a half."

"If I provide you an assistant… would it reduce that time?" the red-eyed girl asked, not looking up.

"It should," Maya said with a shrug, "but they would have to be very smart, know the EVAs in and out, and-"

"Pilot Shi will assist you," Rei interjected calmly, "his intelligence scores are the highest of any pilot, and he will be able to provide practical application advice on the operation of the Evangelions."

"But… does he know the system?" Maya sputtered.

Rei lifted her head to regard the older woman. "He does."

"How??"

A faint smile graced the First Child's lips. "He is remarkably intelligent… though he hides it well." Her smile widened, "He is also quite fond of your accomplishment… and looking forward to working with you."

"You already had this planned??" Maya blurted, sitting bolt upright, "How!? You couldn't have known about these findings!"

"Not this," Rei said quietly, though obviously amused, "he has been asking to assist you for five months. I did not see a reason to allow it up until now."

"Well," Maya said, sitting back again, "guess I have an understudy…"

"I am glad that we are in agreement," Rei said, a smile still dancing around the edges of her mouth.

"How's Kensuke?" the brown-haired woman asked, nonchalantly. –See how amusing you find this,- she thought, suppressing a smile.

"He is… well…" the First replied, her smile remaining in place… and being joined by a light blush.

"Really…" Maya pressed, "I noticed he stood up rather quickly when I came in today… what was he doing?"

The blush intensified. "I think that… your readings are very helpful," Rei said softly, "thank you for bringing this to my attention."

Maya grinned as she stood.

"Why do you not tell the Acting Commander of these developments?" the blue-haired girl asked.

The technician shrugged. "Two reasons," she said matter-of-factly, "one, you were involved with the prior projects and know all of their particulars, where as she would need to be brought up to speed. And two…" she smiled, "you're going to be back in Command soon, and I thought you would like to be current, since it will be your responsibility for more than just a week…"

She paused, then added with a wink, "And three… you're my friend…"

"I am?" Rei said softly.

"Yup."

The blue-haired girl smiled softly. "Well… I suppose that is acceptable…"

"Glad you think so," Maya laughed. "Well, I'm on my way…" she headed for the door, pausing just outside. "I'll send Kensuke in," she whispered with a smile.

"Yes…" Rei replied, blushing deeply, "please do…"

The brown-haired woman hesitated a moment longer.

"There is… something else you would like to say?" the First prompted gently.

"Just a small something," Maya admitted, turning to face the younger woman, "just that I think it's great… you opening up to someone… I'm…" she trailed off.

"Go on…" Rei said curiously.

"Proud."

The brown-haired woman stepped out of the room, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Proud…" Rei echoed to the now empty room.

As a gentle knock sounded on her door (Kensuke always knocked – he was exceedingly careful when it came to propriety) she decided that she was proud too.

**

Kaji slowly opened the door to his daughter's room and peeked inside.

"Poor monster," he whispered, smiling softly.

Reiko was asleep in the middle of the floor, a one hundred-piece puzzle half complete in front of her.

He leaned against the doorway and sighed. –I hope you never have to know all that I've had to do for you…- he thought tiredly.

It had been the best (and worst) five years of his life.

When Misato had proposed to him, he had been truly shocked. He hadn't expected her to be so open about her feelings – especially not after confessing to him that she hadn't really found another boyfriend in college, and had broken up with him because she had other issues. He was sure that she would never marry someone like him… someone she had stated flat out was like her father.

"And so publicly, too…" he mumbled, smiling at the memory.

__

"I WON'T wait anymore. Will you marry me?"

He shook his head wonderingly. –Right in front of the whole bridge crew…-

Slipping into Reiko's room, he quietly pulled her blanket off the bed and laid it over her. 

Correction: her blankie. 

Heaven forbid you should make that error… or call her Koko to her face. 

He kissed her cheek and stole out of the room, allowing himself a small, quiet chuckle as he closed the door. "Just like your mother," he whispered, smiling gently, "I don't think I've ever been slapped harder than when I called her Toto…"

His smile fell away as he went into his small office and turned his laptop on.

He had refrained from doing the work he'd wanted to do while Reiko was awake – not because he was afraid she would read over his shoulder, since she couldn't _quite_ read just yet… and the words onscreen were long and hard to pronounce.

He was more concerned about her seeing the pictures.

And asking questions.

Questions he was not ready to answer. 'What's that?' 'What are those people doing?' 'Why is that man bleeding so much?'

He sighed as he began typing up his report.

__

Subject is sensitive to electrostatic charges… though only very high doses. Subject's tail made contact with one of the researchers during the test (see file: Miyazawa, Kazumi – deceased) – still unsure if this was involuntary or deliberate. This is the forty-third documented 'weakness' the subject has expressed. Damage is always quickly recovered due to S^2 organ activity. Subject never shows any signs of anger or residual pain after healing.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking that this last line was probably not true. –I doubt it's just forgiving and forgetting,- he mused, -but it doesn't talk unless 'Mother' is there… and then it only greets her and shuts up… unless she asks it something specific.-

He shook his head and finished the entry.

__

These findings should not be considered indicative of all angels, as each has varied greatly in physical structure and attack formation… though should this one get free, I feel it would not be difficult to terminate, considering all that we know. That's all for now, more after next test.

End file #658

He leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Six hundred fifty-eight 'tests,'" he whispered to the ceiling, lacing his hands behind his head, "for you, my little baby… all for you…"

Kaji stood and saved the file, then snapped off the computer. Leaving his study, he headed for Reiko's room, where he would take the simple pleasure of watching _his_ angel sleep… and try and forget all the horrid things he had observed the researchers do in the name of survival of the species.

-Maybe we shouldn't survive…- her thought grimly, -if this is the way we treat 'prisoners of war.'-

He pushed the thought away and lay down beside his little girl, closing his eyes amid the stuffed animals and toys and scattered puzzle pieces… and drifting off into a troubled, fitful sleep.

**

"Kaworu came over again last night," Angelica said with a grin as she and Asuka came into the locker room.

"So how was it?" the redhead asked, returning the grin as she stripped off the plugsuit and hung it on its hook.

Even though she was Acting Commander, she was still subject to sync tests. Pilots were pilots, and their responsibilities came first – Rei had made sure there was no division in that regard.

"Like you don't know," Angelica replied, winking, "he told me, you know."

"Told you what?" Asuka asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Don't play dumb!" the brunette retorted, "He told me about it… locked out of the apartment… raining… nowhere else to go… come on, don't give me that look – I know you slept with him, and I know-"

"Yeah," the redhead cut her off as she fastened her bra, "_slept_. I got locked out, I needed a place to sleep… his place only has one bed and a really hard floor." She paused, "What else were you going to say, little miss jump-to-conclusions?"

"But… he said… God, I'm so stupid," the brown-haired girl laughed, "I asked if he slept with Shinji and he said yes, and told me he'd slept with you too… I never thought that he meant just sleep…"

"Dummy," Asuka giggled, "he's just like Wondergirl… they both answer questions literally." She sighed as her laughter trailed off, "Should have asked if he's ever had sex with Shinji… I know they used to be a lot closer than they are now, but that's something I could never bring myself to ask either one of them – mainly because I don't really want to know the answer."

Angelica wrinkled her nose. "No, I don't think I want to know either, when you get right down to it… that's more Mira's taste."

"She likes that guy-guy stuff, eh?" Asuka asked, shaking her head, "Which reminds me, just why are you with that pretty-boy, anyway? I always pegged you as a shy-guy kinda girl."

"I'm impulsive," her friend replied, shrugging, "you know that. Though the shy ones _do_ hold a soft spot in my heart."

Asuka froze at the wistful tone in her friend's voice. "Hey, Angie…" she said, closing her locker slowly, "how impulsive are you, exactly?"

"Ummmm…" the Ninth hesitated, her laughter gone, "not as… much as I used to be…"

"What's that mean?" the redhead asked, frowning slightly.

"Just that I… don't jump in as fast as I used to," Angelica replied.

"Really…" Asuka pressed, feeling slightly ill, "Ever do anything you wish you hadn't?" she paused for emphasis, "Like, oh I don't know… sleep with someone else's boyfriend?"

It was a shot in the dark, she knew… but all the pieces fit.

__

"no… you know her…"

"I swore I would never let another chance slip past me without doing anything about it."

Asuka's eyes widened as Angelica paled. "It was you…" she whispered.

"Oh God…" the brunette moaned, putting her face in her hands.

Asuka's emotions ran from relief at finally knowing who it was Shinji slept with to rage at it being a friend of hers in the blink of an eye.

"Why?" she demanded, focusing on the latter emotion.

"You…" Angelica took a deep breath, "I… we were both… alone, and-"

"That's the best you can do?" Asuka snapped.

The other girl looked away, whispering, "Loneliness is a powerful force, Asuka…"

"That's a lame excuse for both of you," Asuka said angrily, "him especially. I waited, why couldn't he!?" Her eyes narrowed, "He was drunk, wasn't he? Were you too, or did-"

"No," Angelica said softly, cutting her off, "it would be a great excuse, though, wouldn't it? But no… we were both sober…"

"Then why?" Asuka asked, her voice cracking, "Why, Angie?"

The brunette closed her eyes. "Why did you sleep with him the first time?"

Asuka blinked. "Because I love h-"

"Bullshit," Angelica cut her off, opening her eyes and fixing the redhead with a stare, "people don't have sex because they love each other. Sure, it's a nice bonus when you do, but people don't head towards the bedroom thinking, 'Oh I love him so much – I wanna fuck him.' There's always another reason."

"You really believe that, don't you?" Asuka said, her voice registering wonder and sadness in equal doses.

"It's true," the Ninth retorted, "and with Shinji I…" looked away from her friend, "it was a hard time for me… my father had just died. Remember when I called you in tears?"

Asuka nodded, "Yeah… I remember…"

"It was that night…" the brunette said softly. She smiled sickly, "I called him up to come talk to me… and I really did just want to talk… but one thing led to another."

"Who made the first move?" Asuka asked suddenly, leaning forward, "Angie… I have to know…"

"Are you kidding?" Angelica laughed, "I practically had to go down on him and swear that I would sooner pitch myself in front of a truck than tell you before he would even touch me!"

Asuka nodded thoughtfully. "He didn't want to… did he? You made him."

Angelica flushed. "You can't really _make_ someone have sex, Asuka…" she said defensively, "I didn't rape him."

"But you made the first move," the redhead said quietly, "and he _still_ didn't want to." She tilted her head, "What did you _say_ that finally changed his mind? You touching him wouldn't be enough… his conscience is too strong. " –Even if you _did_ finally manage to break him down…- she thought darkly.

The brunette looked away once more. "I begged…" she whispered, "I begged him not to leave me alone…" she met Asuka's eyes, "I'm so sorry…"

"Good," the redhead answered flatly, standing up abruptly and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Angelica inquired.

"I'm going to see him," Asuka replied, "and look into his eyes." She looked back over her shoulder, "And depending on what I see… I'm either going to ask him to marry me… or leave him."

"What about us?" Angelica asked hesitantly.

"There is no us," the redhead answered softly.

Before the brunette could say another word, Asuka walked out of the room, leaving her in silence.

**

"Are we almost done?" Shinji asked, trying to fight the urge to reach up and do the job himself.

"Mmmm hmmm…" the nurse replied.

Shinji sighed. So far, that was all the woman would say.

"And… no messages from Commander Souryu?" he asked for the third time.

"Hmm mmm…"

-She said she'd be here when the bandages came off…- he thought, feeling inexplicably nervous, -I hope she's ok…-

So far, the nurse had been unwinding the long bandage from his head for five minutes… and Shinji was sure that she was taking as much time as possible.

-Must be a new girl,- he thought absently, -doesn't want to hurt me.-

The last of the bandage was slowly removed, leaving only the white gauze pads that kept the bandages from sticking to his eyes.

As the first was peeled away, Shinji smiled. "She's really pretty…" he said quietly, keeping his eyes closed as the doctor had instructed.

"Hmmm?" the nurse inquired, pausing as she pulled the second pad off.

"The Commander…" Shinji clarified, "well, the Acting Commander… she's my girlfriend…" as the nurse continued her task, he sighed, "she hates being Commander… but it's just for a little while longer… then I'll get to see her again." He waited for the instruction to open his eyes, "I hardly see her now…" he said sadly, "I miss her…"

"You can open your eyes…" the soft order came after a moment of silence.

Slowly, Shinji's eyes opened, showing only glaring brilliance at first as they adjusted to the presence of light after days of darkness.

As the world came slowly into focus, his breath caught in his throat. "Asuka?" he whispered.

She nodded, setting the gauze pads to the side. "I said I'd be here," she reminded him matter-of-factly 

"Why didn't you talk to me?" he asked, flushing as he recalled his gushing of a minute ago.

"I wanted to see your eyes," she whispered, meeting his gaze levelly, "I had to look for something."

Confused, he asked, "Did you… ummm… find it?"

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before leaning back, out of his reach, and saying softly,

"Shinji… we need to talk…"

Continued…

Author's notes: nope… no notes here.

Ryoma's still getting pre-read thanks on this one… provided he hasn't hunted me down and slapped the hell out of me for that ending. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	13. Replace

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 13

Replace

By Random1377

"Commander on deck!"

Everyone stood at attention as the black-coated figure entered the room.

"Thank you, Major Kaji…" Rei said softly, "thank you all."

It had been four days since she had visited Sandelphon and three since Shinji had been released from the hospital.

Today was her first day back on duty.

"Are there any major updates?" she inquired, heading towards the command dais.

"Nothing earth-shattering," Misato said, falling in step at her side, "I assume you are already aware of Asuka's request for four days personal leave."

"Yes," Rei answered, frowning slightly, "and it has been approved… of course on the condition that she stays in Tokyo-3."

"That hardly seems fair, considering the circumstances," the purple-haired woman said quietly as Rei took her seat.

"She knows the protocol," the red-eyed girl said softly, "Unit 01 is damaged, though Doctor Ibuki tells me it will operate if necessary. Unit 13 is missing an arm… and Units 10 and 08 are gone – not to mention that Shinji will be out for four days… though I doubt he will want to go anywhere."

"I am… aware of all that," Misato said slowly, "but she _did_ take over for you… even though-"

"As was her duty," Rei interjected calmly. "I am not without gratitude, Major…" she said slowly, "and considering the recent… events, I would be more than happy to allow her to go wherever she wants… but right now I cannot spare any pilots."

The Operations Director shrugged, "I doubt she'd want to go anywhere anyway… she just got back, after all. I just think it would be nice to give her the option."

"I agree," the blue-haired girl replied, "it would be very nice. It would be nicer still to not have any pilots at all… and no Evangelions… and no angels… but we do not always get what we want."

Misato grinned, "God I missed you," she said, shaking her head as she moved away from the command desk.

Rei eyed her retreating form for a moment before replying, "I missed you too, Misato."

Had the stairs leading to the dais been taller, the fall Misato took that afternoon at hearing the blue-haired girl use her first name might have proven very harmful – perhaps even deadly.

As it was, she merely tumbled down the short stairs, landing on her rear with a surprised yelp.

"You did that on purpose," she moaned as Shigeru and Makoto rushed to help her up… but her tone was pleased.

"I do not know what you are referring to," Rei replied calmly, never looking away from her desk.

Though anyone within five feet of her could have easily spotted the soft smile on her lips.

**

Asuka's crystalline blue eyes slowly rolled open.

"Mmmm…" she hummed, stretching languidly, "so nice to sleep in for a change…"

"It's better to sleep in _with_ someone…"

Asuka smiled as Shinji's arms slipped around her waist and his lips pressed gently against her shoulder. "I can't argue with that," she said quietly, turning to face her fiancée and kissing him softly, "but the part before going to sleep is the best of all…"

"Why, Miss Souryu," he said, feigning shock, "your boldness amazes me."

"You're gonna have to call me Misses Ikari soon…" she whispered, closing her eyes and settling more fully into his embrace.

"Ok," he said, smiling foolishly.

They let silence descend as they both thought of the long, drawn-out conversation that had taken place when his bandages had been taken off.

__

"I don't think we should see each other anymore…"

Asuka had decided while unwrapping his bandages that she would have to break it off, in spite of the kind, unprompted things he had said when he couldn't see that she was in the room with him.

Seeing his storm-blue eyes had wavered her resolve, but she had pressed forward, feeling heartsick and incredibly unhappy… but thinking that this must be the only way.

__

"NO! I won't let this end because of a stupid mistake – I won't!!!"

His determination, and _immediate_ response had given her pause. She had argued that she wasn't sure that she would be able to trust him anymore… even though she'd said she could let it go, she said she'd always be wondering if he was with someone else when he was away from her.

He had looked directly into her eyes and swore to her that that would never happen again, and begged her (literally, getting out of bed and kneeling painfully in front of her) to not give up on them.

She had been caught totally off guard as he had reached under his pillow and pulled out a ring box, offering it to her with his head bowed.

__

"Don't leave… don't give up on what we have just because I fucked up… please stay with me… please marry me…"

She had opened her mouth to say no… and had been quite shocked to find herself saying yes instead, dropping to her knees and embracing him carefully, weeping against his shoulder as she promised herself to him.

Of course, that was the moment the doctor had shown up to check on Shinji.

Asuka had been shooed from the room, and admonished not to return until it was time for his discharge, as the doctor wasn't going to have one of _his_ patients kneeling on the floor before they were even supposed to be up and about.

Asuka had protested (as the man had shoved her out the door) that she was the Commander, damnit, and the patient in question's fiancée.

The doctor had smiled and commented dryly that he was sure that she, as Commander, had many duties to fulfill and that she, as his fiancée, would be there promptly at six to pick him up. He had then closed the door.

She decided that she didn't like that doctor very much.

"Who's going to be your best man?" Asuka asked quietly, bringing herself back to the present, "Touji? Kaworu? Kensuke? David? Wu Lin?" she smiled suddenly, looking up at him, "You know…" she mused, "I never stopped to think about how many friends you have, Shinji… you're really lucky…" 

Shinji sighed. "Not as many as you think…" he said quietly, "David and Wu Lin are pretty much just drinking buddies…"

She frowned, but forced herself not to comment. –He said he'd cut back…- she reminded herself. 

The hospital stay was good for that, she mused, but she was still worried about his release.

"Touji's pretty caught up with… with Hikari," he said, hesitant to speak the brown-haired girl's name. "And Kensuke and I aren't as close as we used to be…"

"So… Kaworu?" Asuka asked hesitantly.

She wondered if that would mean Angelica too… and if the self-proclaimed 'impulsive' girl would even still be dating him when the wedding came around.

A scowl crept over her features. It had taken much to allow herself to forgive Shinji… she wasn't sure if she would be able to forgive the Ninth so easily – if at all.

"Probably," Shinji said slowly, "I'll figure it out later…"

She sighed and slowly caressed his stomach with her fingertips. The night before had been the first time they'd been able to sleep together since he was released, as he had been in too much pain up until then.

It had been… different from the last few times. Slower… gentler… more intense. Since they no longer had any secrets between them, neither of them had anything to hold them back… and they had given themselves to one another completely for the first time since she had gone to Germany.

"Why did you leave?" Shinji asked suddenly, as thoughts of the previous night brought him to think of her departure, "What did Rei need you to do there?"

Asuka sighed. "It was a fool's errand…" she whispered, a touch bitterly, "though we didn't know it at the time."

She kissed his side and continued. "Word reached the intelligence branch that a scientist in the German division was on the verge of a breakthrough in the Dead-Sea scroll translation – something that would allow us to predict the angel's pattern and when the next would arrive."

"That sounds pretty important," Shinji observed.

"Doesn't it?" Asuka replied with a sigh. "Anyway… the scientist was told to give his findings only to me, and I was sent there to wait for him to complete the project, which he swore would be done in less than three months."

She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "Obviously… he was optimistic… and I couldn't just leave, since he was always on the verge of completing it."

"What did he find?" Shinji inquired, "You came back, so he's done… right?"

She laughed, and this time there was no hiding the bitterness. "Yeah, he finished," she said sarcastically, "he completed his translation and analysis and handed them to me with this little, excited smile…I thought he might start dancing any minute…"

"What did it say?"

She closed her eyes and quoted, "'Based on the pattern of previous attacks and the translations of the scrolls, the next angel attack will be within the next three years, and all attacks will be complete within ten.'"

His jaw dropped open, "That's _it?_"

"Yup," she confirmed, "six months, two plane trips, several thousand dollars worth of takeout food… and one almost-shattered relationship later… that's it…"

Shinji sighed and gently pulled her into his arms. "Well," he reasoned, "we can't get the time back, the food was probably pretty good, and I'm sure you got to watch a movie on the plane…" he paused, kissing her deeply before finishing, "and we're still here…"

She closed her eyes, "God," she whispered, smiling gently, "it sounds like a bad movie…"

Slowly, he pulled her over until she was resting on top of him. "Hey," he said softly, "I like it so far. Except for a few rough spots, it seems like a good story…"

"Will it have a happy ending?" she asked quietly, gently pressing herself closer to him with a content sigh.

He smiled and caressed her cheek with his fingertips.

"Absolutely…"

**

"Sempai? Are these readings correct?"

Maya looked up from her terminal, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. "What?" she asked, shaking her head to clear it as she stood and walked to his station, "What was that, Wu Lin?"

The young pilot pointed to his screen, "These readings… they look off to me. Shouldn't the power output on Unit 01 be higher than that?"

"Oh," Maya said, understanding the boy's confusion, "no… 01 doesn't have an S^2 engine. It has an enhanced batterypack."

"Why is that?" the young man inquired, "I thought all Units had the S^2s…"

The brown-haired woman shook her head. "Unit 01 is different from the others… in several ways." She reached over his shoulder (not noticing him tense as her hand brushed his) and changed his readout. "Work on Units 03 through 13…" she said quietly, "I'll worry about 00, 01 and 02, alright?"

He was looking down at his hands, trying to hide his flushed cheeks as he replied. "I… ummm… ok, but can I ask about the S^2 at least? I mean, this enhancement is going to draw its power from that… if Unit 01 doesn't have one, it's not going to work right."

"Unit 01 won't get this enhancement," Maya said after a moments hesitation, "I doubt it would take it even if we tried to install it." –In fact,- she thought, -I can guarantee that it won't. It would reject it, just like it rejected the S^2 we tried to put in.- She shivered, -At least it didn't end up like Unit 04…-

The American-made Unit 04 had vanished in late 2015, for reasons unknown. It had taken the entire American Second Branch of NERV with it when it went, leaving nothing but a rather sizable crater and a multitude of questions that would never be answered.

"Sempai…" Wu Lin's hesitant voice brought her back to the present.

"Hmmm?" she hummed, turning her attention back to him.

"Can you tell me about… Doctor Akagi?" he asked, "I've been very interested in her work.

He sighed softly as the brown-haired woman began to talk animatedly about her deceased mentor… not truly listening to her.

It was true that he had a passing interest in the late Akagi's accomplishments. However, he was more interested in observing the way her student's lips moved when she talked… and the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled… and the way her breasts rose and fell as she took breath.

"Geez," Maya laughed suddenly, "I've been talking for ten minutes already, and we still have a lot to do. Sorry about that…"

"No," he assured her, a touch breathlessly, "it's fine… I liked listening."

She nodded, "Well, ok… but let's get back to work."

As she turned to head back to her desk, his eyes slowly slipped down to watch her backside as she moved.

So intent was he on this study, that he failed to notice the door open and close.

"You know," a voice whispered in his ear, "I would think you would be able to find more information on the EVAs in that computer terminal of yours than my wife's ass… of course, I could be wrong…"

"M-mister Ibuki," Wu Lin stammered, flushing deeply.

"Indeed," Shigeru replied with a wolfish smile, "and you know what that means? It means that _Misses_ Ibuki would most likely not appreciate you ogling her derrière… much as I don't appreciate it."

"S-Sorry…" the younger man whispered, "it won't happen again…"

"Good plan," Shigeru replied.

The Chinese pilot let out a shaky breath as the technician went to greet his wife, mentally kicking himself for being so careless… but still stealing glimpses of the woman out of the corner of his eyes…

**

Rei sighed as she came into her office.

-How easy it is to forget how much there is to do…- she thought, laying a stack of papers on her desk and walking over to the window to look out at the Geofront.

She folded her arms, shivering slightly. "Why is this place so cold?" she wondered.

"It's because it's so big," a gentle voice whispered behind her, "makes it hard for the heat to fill the room properly."

Rei closed her eyes and leaned back as Kensuke's arms slipped around her waist. "I am warmer now…" she said quietly.

They had discussed much in the few days they had been dating… what else was there to do when she was lying in bed? They had learned many of one another's likes and dislikes, and had both agreed that their relationship should be kept quiet lest anyone should accuse her of favoritism or him of trying to sleep his way to the top.

"I'd like to take you out…" he said quietly, "on a real date…"

"Mmm…" she hummed, resting her hands over his, "that sounds very nice." She opened her eyes to regard their reflection in the window, "But I would prefer to wait for a moment… is that alright?"

"How come?" he asked curiously, "Not that I mind… I'm in no rush."

She favored him with one of her rare, honestly pleased smiles. "I am… enjoying the feel of being here… now…" she whispered, "with you holding me… it is very…" she searched for a word, finally settling on, "comfortable…"

He slowly turned to face her, meeting her eyes levelly as he replied, "I'll stay… or go… wherever you want, Rei…"

Slowly, she reached up, sliding her hand around the back of his head and pulling his lips closer to hers. "Will you do… what I want?" she asked, feeling her cheeks flush slightly as he drew closer.

"Anything…" he said plainly, kissing her briefly, "for you… you know that I would."

"There is something I want," she whispered against his lips, "but I am… afraid to ask."

"Why?" he asked, wondering what could be so bad that she would be so reluctant to tell him.

"I am afraid that you will… think less of me," she confessed.

"I never would," he replied, now feeling genuinely curious.

She bit her lip pensively for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth the risk.

Finally, she nodded, turning his head to whisper her request into his ear.

His eyes widened… and he understood her hesitance.

"Yes, Rei…" he said soothingly, "of course…"

She sighed, leaning up against him as he embraced her, caressing her back gently.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Reaching past him, she pressed a button on her desk… her blush deepening as the door locked itself, and the lights slowly grew dimmer.

"Thank you…"

Continued…

Author's notes: before anyone asks – yes, they did. :P Ok, that's a healthy chunk of WAFF, methinks… now to get some action injected into our little tale – you know those angels don't sleep :P

It's hard to think up different ways to thank Ryoma for pre-reading… so I'll keep it simple this time. Thanks man. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	14. Relinquish

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 14

Relinquish

By Random1377

"It's just sitting there? It's not moving? Well, shoot that fucker down!"

"It's out of range of our weapons," David replied reluctantly (no one liked to upset the Major… especially not between the fifteenth and the twentieth), "we've just been waiting for it to come closer."

Misato growled as she finally reached the command deck, hanging up her cell phone and barking, "Transfer Klashnikov's feed to the main screen."

As the Russian's face appeared, the purple-haired woman regarded him with a small frown.

"I'm, uhh… hello Major," he stammered, unable to meet her gaze.

"I'm taking command of this operation," Misato snapped, "where are Asuka and Shinji?"

"They are preparing for launch," Rei's calm voice replied.

"And they're not too happy that the angel only gave them two days off," Mira chimed in, not bothering to hide her amusement, "Probably interrupted their mid-afternoon quickie."

"Stow it, LeBeau!" Misato said angrily, "This isn't the time or the place… in fact," she added, "it's _never _the time or place for that shit with me – that's _my_ boy! _GOT IT!??_"

"You're going to rupture something Major, calm down…" Mira replied, but her voice was low and uncertain… and a touch scared – in spite of the fact that she was in a fifty-stories tall bio-mechanical combat Unit.

"Angel is maintaining geo-sync orbit over Headquarters," Makoto announced, trying not to grin as the French girl muttered something about the over-sensitivity of a certain pilot's mother, "no change."

"Unit 02 online," Asuka's voice filled the command room.

As Shinji also reported in, Hyouga thought idly that they did sound as if they were upset. –Maybe they _were_ in the middle of something…- the tech thought, smiling faintly.

"Put a sniper on deck with the type 20 Positron Rifle," Misato said, "Shoot as soon as it comes in range. Asuka… you're up."

"I'll take it," Angelica's voice replied, sounding quieter than usual, "my marksman scores are higher…"

"Whatever," Misato growled, grinding her teeth, "but someone do it so I can go home!" Ideally, she would have had Shinji do it, as he had the highest sync ratio of any of the pilots… but Unit 01 was still damaged, and she didn't want to pull it out unless everyone else had failed.

"That won't be necessary," Asuka's voice answered, sounding like the winter Japan never saw, "my marks are just fine, thank you."

"I'm sure my scores are twice what yours are, Asuka," the Ninth said quietly, "and precision is important when-"

"Look," Asuka cut her off heatedly, "what are you trying to prove, anyway? That you're better? Is that it? Because if you thi-"

"Ahhh!!" Misato screamed, clapping her hands to the sides of her head, "Both of you _shut up!!!_" All eyes focused on her as she took a deep breath, "Angelica, launch. Asuka, don't say another word about it or I'll take Shinji, lock him up at my house, and torture him until he decides that marrying Mira would be a better idea!"

"Unit 09 launching," Angelica replied calmly.

Asuka said nothing.

**

"Positron Rifle loaded," Hyouga's voice announced, filling Angelica's entry plug, "on its way up. Good hunting."

As the huge weapon reached the surface, the Ninth Child sighed. "It's not that I think I'm better…" she said quietly, making sure her Units wings were secured, "but if I can stop this angel… for you… maybe I can look at myself in the mirror."

Unit 09 reached out and grasped the rifle, mounting it to its shoulder and shuddering slightly as the locking bolts secured it.

-And if I lose…- Angelica thought, leaning back to allow the targeting scope to slide over her eyes, -I won't have a fiancée mourning me…- her hands trembled on the control yokes, -I won't have anyone mourning me…-

__

"I believe that we should take a 'break' for a while…"

"But… but why??"

"What is between us has only been physical, Angelica. I have decided I would like to pursue an emotional relationship. And you seem unsure of your desires."

"I… don't know, Kaworu…I-"

"When you have decided what you want… I will be waiting. Goodbye…"

"Unit 09 standing by," she said quietly, "awaiting further instructions."

"It's still out of range," Misato said, sounding more frustrated than ever, "just wait until you get a clear shot."

"Understood…"

-I can't really blame him,- Angelica thought, watching the targeting crosshairs dance around her field of vision as the computer tried to lock onto the target, -he kept asking if I was sure I didn't want more… and I kept saying I didn't. God, I'm so stupid! Why didn't I just- "Huh?"

A brilliant white light filled the entry plug, and in her mind a chorus of voices sang glorious hymns… as she felt something tentatively sliding into her consciousness.

"The angel has a particle weapon??" Misato's voice reached her.

"Negative!" Hyouga's replied, "We've got no energy readings detected!"

"Abnormal psychograph readings!" Maya announced, "Mental contamination imminent."

Angelica screamed as the tentative probing became a forceful shoving.

"NO!!!" she cried, struggling to verbalize what was happening to her, "Don't… don't _come into me!!!_"

"_ANGIE!!!_"

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Angelica screamed, willing Unit 09 to raise its weapon and fire.

"No good," Hyouga's voice reached her, "shots went wide… no contact."

The Ninth Child screamed again, pulling the triggers on the control yokes over and over again, swinging the huge rifle around desperately, trying to find the enemy that was burrowing into her thoughts.

"Damn!" Shigeru called, "Hits to the fifth, ninth, fourteenth, and twenty-sixth blocks… and her rifle's dry…"

The sound of discharging positrons was replaced by the repeated click of an empty weapon.

"Get out of my mind!" Angelica sobbed, "Oh God, it's _raping my mind!!!_"

**

In Unit 00, Rei closed her eyes. "Backup rifle preparing to fire," she said as calmly as she could, "calculations for earth's rotation and gravity at eighty-five percent and climbing…"

In Unit 02, Asuka was shaking. "Someone help her!" she cried, "Oh God, please! Don't let this happen to her!!"

In Unit 01, Shinji could only stare, his eyes fixed on the viewscreen as Unit 09 dropped its rifle and clutched its head. "Lord…" he whispered, "Lord have mercy…"

In Unit 03, Touji was sick… violently.

All the other Units pilot's had similar reactions as they witnessed one of their own being mercilessly hammered by the angel's mental attack.

And in the command room, Misato's stomach was full of ice. "Rei…" she breathed, "fire… for God's sake, fire now…"

Unit 00 braced itself more firmly against the building it was leaning against, cradling the Long-range Type-II Positron rifle (a veritable antique, compared to the other) against its shoulder.

"Release final safety lock," Rei said quietly, opening her eyes, "prepare for weapons discharge in five… four… three…"

The First Child's lips parted in an unconscious snarl as her countdown reached zero and she pulled the triggers on the massive weapon, grunting slightly as the kickback rattled her in the entry plug.

**

Angelica slumped forward in her seat, barely hearing the announcement that the shot that would save her… hadn't been able to penetrate the angel's AT field.

"It's defiling my mind…" she whispered, shuddering as the angel slithered its way farther into her memories. 

__

Flash

Four years prior… she can see herself, kissing Robert Davies. "Come on, Bobby…" she hears herself say, "let's get in the back…"

"But I didn't want to…" she whispers to herself, "I was so scared he would break up with me… and I promised I would never lose again…"

__

Flash

Fourteen years back… she can see her mother, lying in a room that smells of Pine-sol and slow, rotting death. "I'll be good, Mommy," she sees herself sobbing at the bedside, "I won't hit Johnny anymore… don't go, Mommy… don't go!"

"Don't make me remember," she moans, "I don't want to see her like that… I don't…"

__

Flash

Slightly over one month ago… her apartment… "Shh," she cuts off the brown-haired boy, kissing him again to stifle his protests, "don't say anything… just go with it, baby…"

She sobs, knowing she can never atone for this sin.

But it doesn't stop

__

Flash

One terrible, horrifying memory…

__

Flash

After another…

__

Flash

After another… until all the fears and traumas of the woman known as the Ninth Child have been laid bare before her eyes.

Until abruptly, it ends.

"Angelica, can you hear me?" Misato's voice reached her, "Are you ok? Angelica?"

"Sorry," the brunette managed, "so sorry…"

When the retrieval crew pulled her out of the plug… it's all she would say.

**

"Whose idea was it?" Shinji asked softly, "I never even heard the order."

"It was David's," Wu Lin answered, staring at the floor as he pealed off his plugsuit, "but there was no order… he just did it."

Shinji stole a glance at the Eleventh Child, looking away as he found the man still staring straight ahead, his fingers running idly over his A-10 connectors.

"They said," Wu Lin swallowed and lowered his voice, "they said she's gone, man… she's there, but not there… know what I mean?"

Shinji nodded as Touji and Kaworu, the last two to leave the battlefield, entered the room. "She'll pull through," he said quietly, standing to leave, "she's strong…"

"Pilot Klashnikov," Kaworu walked directly up to the Eleventh Child and stood waiting for him to look up.

"What is it," David whispered dully, "I'm kinda not in the mood to talk right now, Nagisa…"

The remaining pilots watched in shock as the red-eyed boy slowly knelt in front of the Russian and embraced him. "Thank you," Kaworu said simply.

For a long moment, David said nothing… he merely stared in dazed silence at the side of the other man's head as if trying to decide if he should punch him or hug him back.

Shinji looked away as the Eleventh Child finally decided on a reaction, collapsing against the gray-haired boy and sobbing openly, cursing himself for not thinking faster… for hesitating… for allowing Angelica to be harmed further than she would have otherwise been.

"You could not have known," Kaworu said soothingly, "and had it not been for you, she may have died."

Shinji knew of Kaworu's kindness – he had been saved by it himself.

__

"There is no need for you to cry, Shinji… though we have only known each other three months, I feel as if I have known you forever. I love you Shinji…"

"Commander on deck!" Touji called, standing at attention.

"Thank you," Rei said quietly, walking into the room without so much as a second glance at the naked Sixth and Seventh.

Kaworu released David and stood by his side, smiling at the First as she came to a halt in front of the man.

"Pilot Klashnikov," she began formally, "your action in throwing your weapon at the angel was both bold and courageous… you have saved the life of the Ninth Child and destroyed an enemy that may have chosen another target at any moment."

She drew herself up to her full height and saluted him. "You have done well, pilot… there will be an awards ceremony tomorrow."

David slowly stood, wiping his eyes quickly on his sleeve, and returned the salute. "Thank you, Commander…" he said, his voice soft, "but I don't think I need an award… I should have thought faster and-"

"What I do not understand," Rei said, cutting him off quietly, "is why my orders are constantly questioned."

David blinked, then nodded. "I apologize, Commander… it won't happen again."

"Four o'clock," Rei said, turning to leave, "I look forward to presenting it to you."

As David sat back down, Rei paused, her hand on the door. "On a personal note," she said quietly, not looking around, "I would like to thank you for saving Pilot Bennett's life. Though she is not close to me, she is close to those I call my friends… and it would have been very hard to lose her – admittedly for everyone, but for them especially. Thank you."

As she left, the other pilots fell into a thoughtful silence.

Finally, Shinji shook himself and waved to the others. "I've gotta go see how Asuka's doing," he said quietly, "I'll see you all later."

Walking out, he sighed. –God have mercy on my soul,- he thought sadly, -for being thankful that it was her and not Asuka…-

**

"Is it getting easier?" Rei's advisor asked, slipping out of the secret panel behind the Commander's chair, "Saying thank you, I mean."

"Yes and no," the blue-haired girl said quietly, turning to face the man, "yes because I am forced to say it more frequently now, and the repetition is easing the difficulty…"

As she trailed off, he prompted her gently, "And no because…?"

She smiled faintly. "Because I am forced to say it more frequently," she said softly.

He laughed, "Why, Commander… is that a joke?"

Rei sighed, her smiled fading. "No," she said quietly, "it is a conundrum. I am forced to thank my people for performing increasingly more difficult tasks… and I am able to offer them nothing in return besides my words and cheap awards."

"You do what you can," he replied soothingly, "at least you try to recognize them when they excel."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.

"What about the lance that was lost?" he asked after a moment of quiet.

"It is not important," the blue-haired girl replied, "only the true lance is important to the scenario."

There was a brief pause before her advisor said quietly, "It concerns me that you say 'scenario' in that tone of voice. You are still taking the lives of the pilots into account, right?"

Rei said nothing.

"I see…" the man said softly.

"Do not get me wrong," the blue-haired girl said, leaning back in her chair, "I would like to protect as many lives as possible…"

"But if a few fall by the wayside…" her advisor let the thought trail off.

Rei met his eyes steadily. "What is more important?" she asked softly.

He looked away. "Fine," he said, just as softly, "I see your point…"

"I am glad we understand each other," she said, relaxing slightly.

She had been concerned that he would not approve of her point of view – after all, he had restarted the project after the death of Commander Ikari on the stipulation that the Children be protected at all costs.

"I was not aware that you were so cold," he said quietly, once again meeting her eyes, "I think I might have underestimated you."

"I do what I must," she answered levelly, "it is for the greater good."

"Another man used those same words, Rei," her advisor replied, "I would strongly advise reconsidering the 'ends justifies the means' thought process… I would hate to see you end up like him…"

"That sounds… threatening…" the blue-haired girl mused.

He paused for a moment, then answered soothingly. "It's my job to advise you… I don't want to see you hurt."

She considered this, trying to decide if she should take it at face value.

Her advisor sighed, heading for the secret exit. "You've been Commander too long, Rei," he said quietly, "jumping at shadows isn't like you. When I recommended that you be placed in this position, I was sure that out of everyone at NERV, you would be able to handle the pressure."

"Forgive me," she whispered, rising to her feet and bowing, "I meant no disrespect. And you are correct… I have felt more pressure lately than before. Please accept my apology."

Unseen, the man smiled faintly. "There's no need to apologize, Rei," he said soothingly, "just trust me – you know I would never betray you."

"Of course," she replied, "you are the one who helped me attain my position, and keep it through all the various attacks… political and personal. You have my thanks."

"Get some sleep, Rei…" her advisor said, opening the door, "you look tired…"

As the door slid closed, Rei sighed and sat back down.

-Jumping at shadows…- she mused, closing her eyes, -yes, he is right. Of all the people I know, he is the least likely to betray me, for he has the most to lose…-

Shaking her head, she turned her attention to the last of the paperwork she had to complete before going home, smiling as her thoughts turned to Kensuke, and the date he had promised her.

And never noticing as the door slid back open, revealing a pair of watchful eyes… eyes that considered her for a full five minutes before the door slid slowly, silently closed…

Continued…

Author's notes: why have the fifteenth angel pop up as the thirteenth, you ask? Well, I'll try and explain in the next few chapters. Hopefully, it'll make sense to other people and not just to the voices in my head :P

Ryoma once again pre-read this chapter… so he gets thanks… again. Special thanks to Ryan T. Nelson for catching a mistake in the angel battle sequence. Thanks! ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	15. Resent

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 15

Resent

By Random1377

"She wouldn't talk to me…"

Shinji turned over in bed, propping himself up on one elbow to better assess his fiancée in the darkness of their bedroom. 

"Angelica, you mean?" he queried, not entirely conscious.

It was almost midnight, and he had just been drifting off to sleep when she had spoken.

Asuka nodded, turning onto her side and putting her arms around him. "She wouldn't even look at me…"

"Honey," he said calmly, pulling her tight up against him, "she doesn't talk to, or look at… anyone… it's only been three days, give it some time."

"She should have been able to talk to me," the redhead whispered, "I am – _was_ – her friend…"

"I'm sure she still thinks of you that way," Shinji said gently, "she's just… not herself right now. She'll get better."

"What if she doesn't?" Asuka asked, "The last time we spoke…" her voice dropped into a quiet whisper, "I was so mean to her… and Shinji…" she met his eyes in the semi-dark, "I'm… still mad at her… even after all this, I'm still pissed as hell…"

He swallowed, knowing that she had every right to be mad at the stricken Ninth Child… and him.

-She's put it all on Angie,- he thought suddenly, -she doesn't _want_ to be mad at me… so she's made it all Angie's fault…-

He closed his eyes as she laid her head on his chest, thinking how nice it would be to feel totally blameless. True, she _had_ been the one to start it… but in the end, that was no excuse – he had been just as much a part of what they had done as her.

"Shinji…" Asuka whispered, "after the last angel… I want to leave this place, ok?"

"Anywhere special you want to go?" he asked, glad to have a topic other than the one they had been discussing.

"Anywhere but here…" she said quietly, "I just want to forget the angels… the EVAs… this city… all of it."

"I don't mind the city…" Shinji said after a moment, "and really… the EVAs don't bother me like they used to… but the angels… yeah, I'd like to forget them…"

"I hate them," the redhead whispered, holding him tighter, "I hate them so much, Shinji… it's all I can think about…"

He said nothing, choosing instead to let her vent her fear and frustration.

"Every time I think it's gotten the worst it possibly can… something else happens," Asuka said softly, "First Xiang… then Veroniuqe… now Angie…" she took a shuddering breath. "It was supposed to be me with that rifle," she said miserably, "that was supposed to be my angel… my punishment…"

"No," he said gently, deciding he couldn't let that pass without saying something, "it wasn't… it wasn't supposed to happen at all… and you don't deserve punishment, honey… you haven't done anything wrong."

"But I have! Shinji, I-"

"No!" he cut her off firmly, "You haven't! The worst thing you've ever done was taking me back… and when this is all over, I'll take you any place in the world you want to go…"

She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "If taking you back is the worst thing I've done…" she said, her voice becoming more normal, "then I've had it pretty good…"

He kissed her softly. "None if this was your fault…" he said, holding her eyes with his, "and-"

The sound of the angel alarm sounding interrupted him before he could finish.

"So soon?" she whispered, her voice flat and hollow.

"Come on, honey…" Shinji said, kissing his fiancée's cheek and climbing out of bed, "let's show them we're not going to give up – no matter how hard they push…"

She opened her eyes… and he was relieved to see a deep spark of determination in their blue depths.

"Yeah," she agreed, throwing the covers back and rising to her feet, "I'm gonna-"

Shinji grabbed her wrist, spinning her around and clamping his lips to hers before she could even gasp in surprise. "No revenge," he whispered as they parted, staring deep into her eyes to make sure she was listening, "promise me, Asuka. If you get a good shot, fine… but don't try and make this into a personal war."

She opened her mouth to protest, but his expression indicated that he would hear none of it.

"Fine…" she said calmly, "I'll keep it professional… but only for you…"

He nodded, releasing her hand. "Good," he said, smiling at her, "because I would hate to have to spank you…"

She grinned, turning away with a hand on her hip and looking over her shoulder seductively. "Maybe later… now let's go!"

They dressed quickly and sprinted for their car… both of them secretly thinking that they would be the one to destroy this angel.

And both of them thinking of the woman they would be doing it for.

**

"Status?" Rei said as her plug finished its entry cycle.

"It's still advancing, Commander," Misato's voice came back to her, "but something feels wrong about it… no AT field detected yet, but it looks pretty heavily armored. I don't like it… it's moving too slow – like it _wants_ us to come get it."

"Who is closest?" the blue-haired girl inquired.

"David and Melissa," came the reply, "Shinji and Asuka are on their way in, three miles from Headquarters and moving fast. Everyone else is suiting up or awaiting launch instructions."

"Launch all available Units and launch the remaining Units as the pilots are readied…" Rei said quietly, "I do not want it near us."

"U-understood…" Misato answered, sounding confused.

As her own catapult launched her to the surface, Rei thought back to her conversation with Sandelphon.

__

"They will come faster now, Mother… and they will become more aggressive as they come. They are no longer willing to wait."

"What was your trial, angel… tell me now."

"My trial was patience… and acceptance."

"I do not understand."

"Your Lillim have allowed me to live for many cycles, Mother… they have proven that they are patient… that trial is past."

"And the trial of acceptance?"

Rei shivered as she recalled the answer.

Sandelphon had said that the longer she had stayed, the more she had been accepted…

"By me…" the blue-haired girl whispered, her tone flat and un-reflected in the LCL, "I accepted her as more than just an enemy… and my acceptance was the passing of the trial… I am to blame…"

What was the serpentine creature to her, exactly? She wasn't sure… but she knew that she saw it as more than just a monster to be exterminated.

"Target sighted, should we engage?"

Rei shook her head to clear away the uselessly self-deprecating thoughts as David's voice reached her. "Can you see its core?" she asked.

"Yes," the Russian's voice came back, "it's… no… wait…"

"What is the problem?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"Nothing…" David replied, "it's just that… its got several red dots on its back… kinda hard to pick out the core…"

Rei felt a sudden sense of unease.

__

They will become more cunning, Mother…

"Pull back and await my arrival…" she ordered, "I would like to see it myself, at close range…"

As David acknowledged her, she felt more apprehension filling her normally calm mind.

-Why do I need to see it…?- she thought, frowning slightly, -And why do I feel as if I must stop it before it gets any closer?-

"Unit 13 online," Mira's voice reached her, "launching…"

Rei turned Unit 00's head as the white Unit was thrown skyward, waiting until it had reached the top of its flight path before spreading its wings and gliding towards the slow-moving angel.

-There is no reason for this level of concern…- the blue-haired girl thought as she watched the other EVA move, -I do not understand what is wrong with me…-

But as she willed her blue Unit in the direction of the upcoming battle, she could not shake the feeling that something was just not right…

**

"Unit 12 standing by," Melissa said calmly.

-At least I sound like I'm in control,- the woman thought as she brought her Unit to a halt, -so I have that going for me. At least I know this thing's against me…-

Since she had gotten to Tokyo-3, the shy little girl from New Springfield, Illinois had had a hard time adjusting.

All of her fellow pilots, and the staff at NERV, had treated her as an equal when she first arrived… and she had even made friends with Xiang Lee, becoming almost like sisters before the Chinese girl's incapacitation. It wasn't until right before the eleventh angel's attack that she had found out that Veronique and Mira had been secretly insulting her behind her back.

She had thought she was in the company of friends, but it seemed that even here, even now, the world was a cruel place – especially for someone with her particular skin tone.

"Funny…" she mused as she watched the oncoming angel, "I was always taught that Second Impact was the great equalizer… guess that was a load of-"

"All Units are in place," Asuka's voice interrupted her thoughts, "awaiting order for attack."

Melissa focussed herself on the present as the Commander's voice replied.

"All Units converge," Rei's voice instructed levelly, "destroy the target as fast as possible…"

The Twelfth Child blinked in surprise. Never had she heard her commanding officer that… scared. It was unnerving.

The Units began to approach the armor-plated creature cautiously. –Ugly looking thing,- Melissa thought absently.

The angel was a huge, almost lizard-like monster, with twelve spikes protruding from its sides and a series of red dots – almost like eyes – covering its back.

"Moving in," she said, noting that Units 07 and 11 were beginning their runs also.

"I'm going for the core," Wu Lin said, his tone excited, "I can see it… its right – back off! Everyone _back off!!!_"

Melissa barely had time to blink as the angel suddenly crouched to the ground… and five of the spikes on its sides shot out, revealing themselves to be tentacles.

Units 07 and 11 dodged, barely weaving around the two that came their way.

Melissa was not so lucky.

"Unit 12 has been hit," she heard David's voice report, even as she felt a dull throb of pain in her left shoulder, "one wing is gone – damnit, I can't get to her!"

Melissa raised her Unit's arm as the angel drew itself up, obviously intending to crush her.

"Get out of the way, you damn idiot!"

Mira's voice exploded across the tac-net, and two seconds later, Unit 13 swooped down, scooping the damaged Unit 12 up off the ground an instant before the angel brought its massive weight down on the spot it had just occupied.

"LeBeau?" Melissa gasped, unable to believe that this was her savior.

"What?" Mira snapped, willing Unit 13 to flap its wings harder, rising up out of the angel's range and turning towards Headquarters.

"You… I thought… thank you…" the black woman stammered.

"I still think someone like you doesn't deserve to be a pilot," the French woman answered tersely, "but what I think doesn't stop me from doing my job – I'm a professional."

Melissa considered this for a minute as the other Unit carried her towards safety.

"Fair enough," she said quietly, "then I won't let my low opinion of your I.Q. stop me from feeling grateful."

There was a moment of silence, then the French girl let out a brief snort. "Shut up, Aims," she said, bemused.

-Well…- Melissa thought as they listened to the other pilots fight, -even if she's not my friend, at least I know she'll watch my back…-

And for a pilot… that was all that truly mattered.

**

"Hit it again!" Asuka cried, "I don't want any more Units damaged, damnit!"

They had gotten five successful hits in against the angel… but none to its core, and none showing much effect.

Besides enraging the angel, that is.

"Unit 12 is safe," Mira's voice announced, "I'm re-engaging."

"We've got to stop this thing," Shinji said, "it's moving faster, now… we're too close to the city!"

"Shinji is right," Rei said quietly, "all Units attack."

"Got an idea," Touji said quickly, "Klashnikov – get me onto that thing's back."

"You're insane, man!" David replied, "But that's why I love you."

"Not so loud," Touji replied, feigning a whisper, "that's supposed to be our little secret! Hikari would kill me!"

"Your secret is safe with me," David replied with a laugh, "and everyone else listening in. Now let's do it!"

Asuka watched as the black Unit was carried into the air by the white one, gripping its lance in both hands. "All remaining Units," she said, pushing forward on the control yokes, "let's get those tentacles off their back… EVAs, _move in!!_"

The battle was brief, but intense, as the ground-based Units and airborne ones commenced their assault. 

Unit 00 and 02 were both struck glancing blows by the waving appendages, but managed to shake the damage off and continue the attack. Unit 11 wove in and out, trying to find an opening.

"There!" David called, willing his Unit to let Touji's go, "It's all yours, man!"

Touji screamed as Unit 03 fell on the angel, holding the lance up over its head and bringing it down directly in the middle of the angel's core.

The resulting explosion was tremendous, sending all of the white Units spiraling to the ground and hurtling Unit 03 back into the city, where it crashed and rolled to a stop, destroying several small businesses in the process.

"Everyone ok?" Misato's voice came over the tac-net when the sound of the explosion had died down.

"I'm here…" Shinji coughed, "think I'm going to wish I wasn't tomorrow, though… I hurt. Unit 01 returning to base…"

"I think I wet myself," Touji said, grinning as he brought Unit 03 to its feet, "but I'll live otherwise…"

"Well, well," Asuka said sarcastically, "the head stooge… soiling himself… how fitting."

"Couldn't let you be the only one," Touji replied, "but I'll bet you're all wet for a different reason – admit it, you got all hot watching me kick that angel's ass!"

"Puh-lease," the redhead snorted, "you make me about as hot as Antarctica."

As the never-ending argument continued, Unit 00 stood immobile.

-Three more…- Rei thought, looking at the scorched ground where the angel had stood, -and what then? Peace?-

Somehow, she doubted it. There was still the Instrumentality project to consider… and her own role to play in it.

"Soon now," she whispered to herself, unable to look away from the remains of the latest Messenger, "soon this will all end… and then – then I can truly begin living…"

"Commander," Misato's voice sounded amused, "you planning on joining us?"

"I am remaining on watch," Rei replied softly, "release all other pilots from duty… they have earned a break."

"Why are you staying on?" the purple-haired woman asked, "It's not even your night. Let me at least have one of the others stay."

"That is my order," the First Child answered, "I wish to remain here… alone."

"As you say, Commander…" Misato said reluctantly, "but if you want to come in, I doubt any more angels will attack tonight… and we can always launch again."

"Thank you, Major," Rei said.

Reaching over, she switched off the communications system.

Slowly, Unit 00 knelt… and placed its hand on the burnt and blackened ground.

"She says you are my children," the blue-haired girl whispered, unconsciously stroking the ground with Unit 00's massive palm, "and I am no longer sure what I believe. If you are nothing to me… I should not feel saddened by your passing. If I am your mother… should I not shed tears at the loss of you? What should I feel…?"

In the silence of her entry plug, she found no conclusive answers.

But she remained at the site of the angel's destruction for a long, long time…

Continued…

Author's notes: why have Melissa's thoughts and problems brought into the light? Well, two reasons. First, I needed a way to start the angel fight, and a quiet moment of reflection seemed to fit the mood of the chapter. Second… well, I kinda wanted to say something, I guess. I was always raised to believe that people are the same no matter what they look like, and yet – I've seen much of the racism that was around when I was young. It's getting better, I think… but it's still there. Why did I include Veronique in the cruelty perpetrated against Melissa, even though she's dead and gone? Actually, that's exactly why I did it. She died heroically… but just because someone sacrifices himself or herself for the greater good doesn't mean he or she lived the life of a saint beforehand. And it doesn't lessen her sacrifice… but I think it _does_ add a facet to her personality. Ok, I've made my notes into a soapbox. I'll shut up now… hope you like the story in spite of my ramblings. ^_~

Ryoma pre-read _again!_ Poor guy… I must be driving him nuts. Thanks for putting up with me, man. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	16. Revamp

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 16

Revamp

By Random1377

"We were able to reattach Unit 12's wing… fortunately, it was a clean cut…"

Rei nodded absently, looking up at the white mecha in question. "Then it is at one-hundred percent?" she asked softly.

"No… not quite," Maya admitted, "but it will be in about a week. For now, it's confined to the ground." She sighed, "We still haven't _quite_ worked out the regeneration ability on these units. I think the SEELE scientists were close… but they blew their own facility up when the UN troops stormed it…"

"However," Wu Lin added, oddly unnerved by being so close to the Commander outside of the EVAs, "we've had a breakthrough in the 'Chameleon' enhancement… we anticipate no more than two and a half weeks until it can be on all Units."

"Outstanding," the blue-haired girl said approvingly, "if you were to consolidate your efforts to one Unit, what is the soonest it could be ready?"

Maya shrugged. "Four days, if we focus."

"Then focus," Rei said quietly, "I would like it installed on Unit 02 to begin with, as Pilot Souryu has the most combat experience besides Shinji."

"Yes, Commander," Maya said, nodding thoughtfully, "I'd like to see how she uses it…"

"Unit 03 should be next," the blue-haired girl said, stepping away from the railing of the EVA cage, "then Unit 00… then the mass-production Units in sequential order."

"Ummm… ma'am?" Wu Lin said quietly.

"Yes, Pilot Shi?" Rei asked, turning to face him.

"Why Unit 03 before your Unit?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity, "And for that matter, why 02? You have as much experience as Asuka… don't you?"

Maya shook her head. "I'm sorry, Commander," she said quietly, "sometimes Wu Lin forgets himself."

Rei said nothing for a moment, studying the boy's face. "No," she said finally, "I will answer him…"

Wu Lin swallowed as the Commander stepped closer to him, dropping her voice to a soft whisper. "Unit 00 does not enjoy being a test subject. It would be… upset if it had to go first."

The Chinese boy blinked in confusion. "I… don't understand. It's just a machine, like all the other Units… right?"

Rei smiled enigmatically. "Curiosity is an admirable trait, Pilot Shi…" she said softly, stepping back away from him, "but there are some questions you do not want the answers to."

Wu Lin swallowed, then nodded.

"Unit 02 first," the Commander said to Maya, "remember the S^2 installations."

Maya assured the blue-haired woman that she would not forget.

"What happened with the S^2s?" Wu Lin inquired, flushing as the older tech turned to him with a look of combined amusement and disbelief on her face.

"You never learn…" Maya sighed, shaking her head, "but this isn't classified, so." She folded her arms, leaning back against the railing. "When Unit 04 disappeared, along with NERV Second Branch in the U.S., stricter security, testing, and failsafe procedures were put in place."

She scratched the back of her neck, looking slightly rueful. "We decided to install the first of the new S^2s on Unit 00. The Commander was in the plug when the activation test was begun…"

"What happened?" Wu Lin prodded as the woman fell silent.

"It went berserk," Maya said with a shrug, still picturing that day, "it was the first time it had happened since the cross-sync test for the dummy plug system, and when it was all over… the S^2 engine was in place, the wall of the testing cage was caved halfway in, and the Commander was being recovered from her ejected entry plug and rushed to the doctor."

"Why did it stop?" the Chinese boy asked, "If it was berserk, and had an S^2 engine… why didn't it destroy the whole base? And if it's that unstable, why does it have one at all?"

Maya considered this for a moment. "I honestly don't know why it stopped," she said finally, "but Unit 01 and 02 were standing by, so it wouldn't have gotten far – hell, Asuka was already drawing her progressive knife when it shut down… and I think she was looking forward to destroying it." She sighed, "As to why it has one, well… the Commander said that all Units needed to have one – except Unit 01, of course – and that she would stay in the plug when it was activated to 'Try and keep her calm', as she put it."

"So she knew something would happen…" Wu Lin said thoughtfully, "didn't she?"

"Maybe," the brown-haired woman said, "but she never talks about it – and _don't_ ask her…"

The young man grinned, blushing slightly. "Yes, Sempai…"

Maya laughed, "Come on…" she said, turning away from him, "we've got work to do."

Wu Lin paused, making sure to look around for the woman's husband, then allowed himself to take an appreciative look at her retreating rear.

"Coming…" he sighed, wondering if he shouldn't have stayed just a pilot.

Even piloting a fifty-stories tall bio-mecha wasn't _this_ frustrating…

**

-It doesn't end… does it?- Misato thought, looking up into the sky at the odd form hanging motionless in the blue void. "At least this one's in range," she grumbled, still feeling the aftereffects of her monthly cycle… and the reduction in her alcohol intake.

"Shinji was right," she muttered, thinking of their conversation of the afternoon of the last attack, "quitting sucks…"

She smiled slightly as she thought of that little talk.

__

"Don't tell Asuka, ok?"

"That you're quitting? Why? Won't she want to know that?"

"Yeah… but I want to tell her myself – after I'm dry. I haven't had anything for over a week, Misato… it's hard just keeping it together. If she knew… she'd want to help – and God help me, I love her… but I think I'd kill her…"

"He's probably right, too…" the purple-haired woman mused, "but I'll bet she knows already… she's not stupid."

She pushed the thoughts of everyday life out of her mind as she reached the entrance to NERV… there would be time to think about it later.

Now it was time to work.

**

"Target lock," Melissa said quietly, "should I fire, Commander?"

Rei considered the stationary angel for a moment. "Not yet," she replied, her tone thoughtful, "its AT field seems strong… I do not want to fire before we can gather more information…"

"It's not going to just sit there forever, Ayanami," Shinji pointed out, "I think Mira was right… we should hit this thing hard before it hits us."

"Thank you for your input," the blue-haired girl replied, sounding faintly amused. She sighed. –They are right… why am I hesitating?- 

"I've got movement," Wu Lin said suddenly, "looks like it's tired of waiting for us…"

Indeed, the strange, egg-shaped angel had begun to move… its surface rippling and flowing like a pond after a small stone had been cast into it.

"Fire now," Rei said suddenly. –This is wrong… I waited too long…-

The positron rifle attached to Unit 12's shoulder uttered its low, whining song of power, particles colliding and releasing energy deep inside the accelerator in the main body of the weapon, until abruptly a beam of brilliant green energy shot out.

Melissa's aim was true, and the beam hit the angel dead center… or it would have, if the angel's AT field had not repelled it.

"No good," the Twelfth Child said, her Unit shaking its head as it mirrored her movements, "too strong…"

"What the hell…?" Mira's voice sounded confused… and slightly disgusted.

And indeed, she had good reason.

In the air, the angel's blue-tinged white flesh was twisting and reshaping… until finally, a new form was attained, crashing to the ground as if spent from the energy exerted.

"No…" Shinji whispered, "it can't be…"

The huge creature slowly raised its head.

"That's… how is that possible?" Asuka asked, dumbfounded.

Standing before them was the unmistakable shape of the third angel.

"Destroy it," Rei said flatly, "this may not be its only form."

Before any of the EVAs could respond, the angel's eyes flashed… and Unit 13 was knocked from the sky.

"Mira!" Shinji cried, watching the white mecha spiral to the ground.

"Life signs are good," Maya's voice announced, "she's unconscious, though…"

"I got her," Touji said, moving Unit 03 towards the downed EVA at a quick run, "you guys kill that thing!"

"Moving in," David said suddenly, diving Unit 11 towards the angel.

Faster than any of the pilots could track, the angel shifted again, becoming a long, serpentine bar of white and shooting away before the descending EVA could hit it.

"Damnit!"

"Units 02, 06 and 07," Rei said, following the angel's flight path with narrowed eyes, "attempt to flank the angel…"

The three EVAs fanned out, making a rough triangle around the creature as it touched down.

"Changing again," Alejandro said warily.

"What the hell is that?" Asuka asked as the angel rose once more, "Looks like a cow."

Indeed, the angel did bear a passing resemblance to a member of the bovine family, though mostly in the facial area, where its empty black eyes and gaping mouth gave it an impression of slack-jawed idiocy. Its legs were short and stubby, and in place of arms, it had two short, drape-like appendages.

It made Rei's blood run cold just looking at it.

"Careful…" she said quietly, "I do not like the way this looks…"

"What a stunning observation, Wondergirl," Asuka said dryly, "and here I thought you liked _all_ the angels for their sparkling personalities and engaging dinner conversation."

Rei blinked. –Why must she choose the most inopportune times for levity?- she thought. To Asuka, she replied, "Perhaps the next angel will want to date Shinji…"

"Oh, ha ha…" the redhead replied.

"Can this wait?" Misato cut in, "in case you hadn't noticed, there _is_ an angel right there…"

"What's it doing?" David asked curiously, "Look at its arms…"

The angel's long arms had begun swaying slightly, and the creature was turning its head slowly, as if assessing the EVAs surrounding it.

"Pilot Aims," Rei called, "fire a second volley."

"Roger."

The huge weapon discharged once more, again reflecting off the angel's AT field. As the glow from the energy beam faded, the angel's left arm shot out.

"Watch out!"

Melissa barely had time to react, throwing Unit 12 to the side as the arm whipped towards her, slicing the positron rifle neatly in half.

"Mel," Alejandro said, his voice concerned, "you ok?"

"Yeah," the Twelfth Child replied, "but that was too close…"

"Fall back," Rei ordered, "Unit 12's wing is not yet functional… you will be in the way if you remain here."

The white mecha began to move. "You _could_ find a better way to say it…" Melissa muttered as she retreated, "or maybe you could just say, 'Hey, you're useless… get out of here.'"

"The Commander doesn't have time to consider your feelings, Aims," Misato's voice came back, making the girl jump slightly, "she's too busy fighting angels and making sure you don't get killed."

"Sorry…" the Twelfth Child whispered, blushing deeply.

"The angel's moving again," Shinji said, his voice tense, "what should we do, Rei?"

The blue-haired girl considered this as the angel began moving towards Tokyo-3, floating a few feet off the ground. All of the EVAs were out of its range (she hoped) and were slowly pacing the large creature.

"Shinji, David," Wu Lin said suddenly, "if you guys attack from the side, and I go straight in… there's no way it could get us all with those arms, right?"

"It could get two of us," David pointed out… but his tone was thoughtful.

"I'm for it," Shinji said, "but you guys should come in from the sides… your EVAs can dodge better, since mine can't fly."

"Good point," Wu Lin conceded, "Commander? Major Kaji? Is this ok?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Misato said after Rei had given her approval, "better than what I had in mind."

"What did you have in mind?" David asked curiously.

"Ever watch American football?" the purple-haired woman said with a grin, "I think they call it a sack."

"And they kept you as Operations Director…" Asuka said, shaking her head, "sad…"

"Let's do it," David said, willing his Unit to heft its lance.

The three EVAs made their move, approaching the angel quickly.

"Watch out!" Wu Lin cried as they neared the creature, "Its eyes!"

Shinji understood immediately, throwing Unit 01 to the ground as a beam of energy shot out of the angel, lancing through the space he had just vacated.

"Shinji!" Wu Lin saw the angel's left arm tense, and acted immediately.

It all happened so fast… Misato would later have to watch the recording of the fight to get all of the events straight.

Unit 12 dropped out of the sky, slicing the angel's left arm in half as it shot towards the prone Unit 01. Unit 11 moved in, bringing its lance to bear as the angel's other arm was brought into play… striking with lightning speed and cutting into the center of Unit 12.

"Wu Lin?" Shinji asked, his voice sounding too loud in the sudden silence.

He brought Unit 01 to its feet, looking at the unmoving angel – which was pinned to the ground by Unit 11's lance.

"Wu Lin?" he called again, "You ok?"

The white mecha remained silent, slumped forward slightly.

The angel's arm was still lodged in its chest, a slow stream of crimson running down its length.

"Pilot…" Maya's voice sounded dazed, "pilot life signs…"

Shinji let out a deep breath, his body going limp in the pilot's seat as the brown-haired tech reported his friend's status.

Nothing more was said… nothing more needed to be…

**

"Maya?" Shigeru came into the EVA cages and looked around, "Are you in here, honey?"

"Here…" came a soft reply from somewhere in the darkened room.

Shigeru squinted, looking in the direction of the sound until he picked out a white lab coat, barely visible in the almost pitch-black space.

"What are you doing?" he asked, walking over to where his wife was sitting against one of the terminals, her knees resting up against her chest.

"Nothing…" she answered softly, "just… sitting here…"

He dropped into a crouch in front of her, considering the top of her downcast head for a moment before asking softly, "Wu Lin… huh?"

She sniffed, nodding but saying nothing.

"Come on, honey…" he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder, "they did all they could…"

"I know," she said, sighing as she slowly stood, "I just… he was so young, honey… they're all so young…"

"Yeah," Shigeru admitted, "but they're also the only ones that can do this… and he saved all of us."

"I was working with him less than two hours ago," Maya said, her voice on the verge of breaking, "I patted his shoulder when he left. And now, he's gone… just like that… gone…"

"Shhh…" the long-haired tech whispered, "he was a good guy… he did what he had to do, honey…"

"He had a crush on me," she said miserably.

"You knew about that?" Shigeru asked, slightly surprised.

"Of course," Maya replied, wiping her eyes and smiling, "how could anyone miss it? The way he looked at me… the way he blushed when he talked to me… the way…" her smile faltered and collapsed, "Oh God… why?"

Shigeru pulled her into his arms as she burst into tears, stroking the back of her neck and whispering that everything would be alright.

Finally, her tears subsided. "Honey?" she whispered, "When are you off?"

"Ummm… I'm off now, actually," he said softly, hearing the need in her voice, "want to get out of here… go home for a while?"

She looked up at him slowly. "Yes…" she said quietly, "I have some work to do, but it can wait. Right now, I want you to hold me… and lie to me…"

"Lie to you?" he asked, a touch confused.

"Yes," she said, wiping her eyes, "I want you to hold me… and tell me that this is all a bad dream… that no one's dead… and that I never have to see one of those awful monsters again… ok?"

"I can do that," he said soothingly, "and there's only two angels left, baby, then I won't need to lie about-"

"I meant the EVAs…" she cut him off, looking up at the inert forms all around, "every time I see one… I'll remember how much he loved working on them…" she shook her head firmly, "I never want to see them again…"

"Let's go," he said quietly, "I'll drive… you rest, ok?"

As they made their way from the cages, Maya took a look back over her shoulder… and for the briefest moment, she thought she saw him, standing at one of the terminals and waving her over, shouting excitedly about some new quirk he had uncovered in the system.

Shigeru never questioned why she broke into fresh tears… he simply led her to the car, drove her home, and held her close… lying to her the way only someone who truly loves another person can…

Continued…

Author's notes: well, only two more angels to go, then the whiz-bang conclusion (at least, I _hope_ it's whiz-bang… or at least whirl-pop ^_^). I had a really hard time with the last scene… I'm too much of a softy, I guess… -_- Oh, why didn't the angel blow up? Come on! The fourth angel didn't explode! Cut me some slack here! ^_^

Once again, Ryoma pre-read. Why? Because I own his soul!!! Wahhhahahahaha!!! Actually no… just cuz he's a nice guy ^_~ thanks man.

Special thanks to Soulrefrain for confirming one of my own misgivings about this chapter and inspiring immediate change. See? Reviewing _does_ help. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	17. Retire

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 17

Retire

By Random1377

"I feel sick…"

Shinji blinked as Asuka darted from the room, covering her mouth with her right hand.

He sighed and turned the burner off, wiping his hands on a dishrag as he walked through the apartment. "I thought you liked takoballs…" he said to the closed bathroom door, wincing as the sound of retching came to him.

The toilet flushed, and Shinji could hear the sound of running water. A moment later, the door opened, and Asuka appeared, looking pale.

"It's not that," she said weakly, "I think I had some bad sushi, or something… I've been nauseous all day…"

"Pregnant?" he asked, dropping her a wink.

"Not funny…" she grumbled, walking past him towards the kitchen, "we're always 'safe' when we do that…"

"Not that one time," he pointed out, "when you first got back."

"I'd just finished my period," she said with a shrug, "I really don't think its that. I'm due to start again in a few days, so that might be it, too." She narrowed her eyes, "Now bite your tongue… before I do it for you."

He laughed. "Maybe I'll just keep talking about it, then…"

She smiled. "Someday…" she said quietly, walking over and embracing him, "maybe, we'll have one…"

"Really?" he asked hopefully, "I thought you hated kids?"

She sighed, "I do… I did… I don't know anymore…" she rested her head on his shoulder, "I used to hate the idea of being tied down, and having someone else rely on me – for _everything_…"

"I know…" he admitted, "it's scary."

"I don't know," she said, dismissing the conversation, "like I said… maybe someday. Right now, I'm still enjoying just _being_… you know?"

He nodded, smiling softly. –At least she's thinking about it now…- he thought happily, -the first time I asked her about it…-

__

"What are you, stupid?? I'm not having some… THING growing inside of me! No way!!"

"Do we have any ramen?" she asked suddenly, "that sounds good…"

He laughed, "You _suuuuuure _you're not pre-"

Abruptly, she leaned forward and kissed him, biting his bottom lip.

"Ow!" he exclaimed when she pulled back, "That hurt!"

"I warned you," she grinned, "now about that ramen…"

"Yes ma'am…" he sighed.

She kissed him gently, then let him go, swatting him on the rear as he walked back towards the kitchen. "Now that's what I like to hear," she said, grinning broadly, "and people say guys don't know how to talk to women."

Shinji began to prepare his fiancée's requested meal, thinking of how it might be to become a father.

-Wu Lin used to talk about it all the time…- he thought suddenly, his hand shaking as he mixed the ingredients, -said he would find a nice girl… settle down…-

"Shinji…" Asuka's soft voice interrupted his thoughts as her arms slipped around his waist, "never mind the ramen… just hold me for a minute, ok?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, setting the pan aside and turning to embrace her.

"Wu Lin…" she said quietly, meeting his eyes, "Angelica… Veronique… Xiang… everything, Shinji… I don't…" she broke off, her voice cracking slightly as she continued, "I don't know how much more I can take, baby… I feel like I'm going insane."

"Oh, honey…" he said soothingly, "it's ok… we're doing the best we can…"

"What if that's not enough?" she asked, her eyes shining with sadness, "What if the next angel gets through? Or the one after that? What if the last one is so tough, we can't stop it? After all we've fought for, what if the last one is too much?"

"What if I get a papercut?" Shinji said gravely, "And then I spill some salt on it… and I try to wash it, but someone tampered with our tap, so instead of water, acid comes out?"

She stared at him in wonder for a moment before letting out a short laugh. "You suck…" she said, "I'm trying to be serious, and you-"

"You're trying too hard…" he cut her off gently, "I'm supposed to be the mopey one, remember?"

She sighed. "Sorry…"

"It's ok," he said, kissing the top of her head, "I understand. Now have a seat and I'll make your ramen."

"I love you," she said suddenly.

"I love you too," he replied, kissing her softly, "now sit! Or I'll make _sure _you're pregnant in the next five minutes!"

"Five minutes?" she said, her eyes wide and innocent, "Why honey… can you go that long?"

"I was accounting for showering time," he said dryly.

She laughed and took a seat at the table, smiling as she watched him cook for her… and thinking that maybe she'd buy a pregnancy test.

Just in case.

**

Kaworu sat at Angelica's bedside, studying the sleeping girl's features.

"What did you do to me?" he asked softly, "Why do I think about you so much? Was it because we were intimate? I don't think that's it… I've been intimate with others before…"

He leaned back in his chair, considering the situation.

In the four days since Wu Lin Shi had died, Kaworu had spent a good portion of every day in the Ninth Child's hospital room… just watching her sleep.

She was under sedation almost constantly, as she had developed a tendency to scream and try to tear free of the restraints on the bed for no discernable reason. One minute she would be fine, the next, she would be screaming at the top of her lungs.

Kaworu had witnessed one outburst.

"My sister was not kind to you," he whispered gently, "and I was surprised that she chose one of the prophesied forms…"

The prophecies of the Dead Sea Scrolls actually contained more information about the attacks than anyone save a handful of now-dead men would believe. Names… forms… and even approximate dates were written there.

"But now the prophesies are void…" the Fifth Child whispered, "because of Sandelphon's longing to be with _her_… now we have no plan… no guide to tell us how to proceed."

He sighed. "Perhaps it's for the best," he said quietly, laying his hand over Angelica's, "she _was_ given the choice… fight the shadow of Adam and either win the day or perish… or break the cycle and allow herself to be captured."

Kaworu found it ironic that the angel of embryos had been given that much power. –Of course she would want to be with the Mother…- he thought ruefully, -she was still the closest to her when she was sent.-

"Of course…" he said thoughtfully, "it was supposed to be Shinji that day…"

He had read the report… and he still found it amazing that something as simple as a twisted ankle had changed so much. Because of the Third Child's injury, the First had gone instead… and everything had changed.

"But is it for the better?" Kaworu mused, "The way before us is unclear now… we are no better off than the Lillim…"

It occurred to him that maybe this wasn't such a bad thing… but he still found it amusing that so much could be altered by one being's choice.

-Now there is just me, and…- his thought trailed off as his eyes widened.

"Rest easy, my dear…" Kaworu said, leaning forward to kiss the stricken girl as he rose to his feet, "he's here…"

As he walked towards the door, the angel alarm began to sound…

**

"Are you ready?" Rei said softly, looking up at the single eye of blue mecha in front of her.

All around, the other pilots were scrambling to get to their Units, their standard issue tan plug suits hurrying back and forth.

She picked out the blue of Shinji's suit, and the red of Asuka's. After Kaworu's dark gray suit was issued, the decision to have a uniform color for the remaining suits was made, based on the idea that color made no difference in the sync ratios, and personal taste was not a consideration.

-They are happy together…- she thought as the Second and Third Children stole a quick kiss before mounting their respected machines, "and I am happy…" she whispered.

It was the first time she had spoken those words out loud.

In spite of the angel attacks, and the death all around her… for the first time in her life, she was truly, honestly happy. The angels were almost all destroyed, the Instrumentality project was nearly complete, and her own relationship had settled into a comfortable routine of conversation, discovery… and more intimate pursuits.

She blushed faintly as she spotted Kensuke watching her from across the room. He smiled and waved discretely, and she nodded, smiling softly then looking away before anyone noticed their exchange.

-After this is over…- she thought, climbing into her entry plug and awaiting her insertion, -we will be able to be together openly… and we will leave this place.-

Had she known Asuka and Shinji's plans, she might have been surprised at how closely they mirrored hers and Kensuke's… or perhaps not – after all, it seemed that everyone was ready to move on.

As the EVAs launched one by one, she allowed herself a small, private smile. "Soon…" she whispered, "soon it will be over."

Then her Unit reached the surface, and there was no more time for gentle thoughts…

**

The sixteenth angel approached the group of EVAs at the same pace it had chosen to approach Tokyo-3, either not noticing, or not caring if it did, that its route was impeded.

"It is smaller than the others," Rei observed, "barely bigger than a Unit…"

"I'm sure it's not too concerned with size," Mira pointed out, "permission to engage?"

"Granted," the blue-haired girl said with a nod, "let us finish it quickly."

The jet-black angel came to an abrupt halt as the EVAs began to move, and it lowered itself on its four legs, swinging its whip-like tail back and forth… seemingly content in waiting for them to come to it.

"High energy readings!" Makoto called out suddenly.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Rei ordered, cursing herself for arranging them in a cluster.

The other EVAs moved in different directions, each seeking to avoid whatever attack the angel had planned.

"Commander!" Misato cried out as Unit 00 stood still, "Get out of there!"

"I… I can't!" Rei replied, her voice unbelieving, "I… Unit 00 will not respond…"

"Not now…" Maya begged, watching the blue mecha clutch its head suddenly, "oh please God… not now!!"

"Energy reading increasing," Makoto said, "it's-"

He never got to finish, as the angel made its intentions known.

"_REI!!!_" Misato shouted, watching in horror as a ray of white light shot out from the angel's eyes, catching Unit 00 in the lower torso… and cutting it in half.

As the glow faded, the angel continued its approach.

"Life signs confirmed," Maya said, relieved, "Unit 00 is non-functional… but the Commander's ok…"

In the plug, Rei was breathing hard. "Had it been a bit higher…" she whispered, watching her monitors as the angel moved past her. "Can anyone read me?" she asked, "The angel must be stopped… do not allow it to reach Headquarters!"

No one replied, though she could hear them talking to each other in cautious tones over the network.

"My transmitter must be damaged…" she said to herself, leaning back in her seat, "at least I can still see and hear…"

"I'm gonna take it," Touji's voice came to her, "I can see its core…"

"Be careful," Misato warned, "those claws look sharp… and it could fire another shot at any time…"

"Hey," Touji said lightly, "no problem… I got this!"

Rei watched Unit 03 approach the dark angel, changing its course from time to time so as not to make itself too much of a target. As it drew close to the angel, the creature suddenly sprang, ramming its head into the EVAs stomach.

"Uhhh…" the Fourth Child grunted, the lance dropping from his Unit's hand as it stumbled back.

The angel's hands shot forward, grabbing the hapless machine by the right leg and the neck before it could right itself.

"Damnit!!" Touji shouted as his Unit was lifted off the ground, "It's… trying to rip me apart!"

"Eject him, _now!!_" Misato cried. There was a moment of tension, then she breathed a sigh of relief as Unit 03's back panel blasted off, and the entry plug was shot away to safety… a moment before the angel tore the black mecha in half.

-Damnit,- the purple-haired woman thought desperately, -there has to be a way to stop it… think… _think!!_-

"Send me that new progressive sword," Asuka said quietly, "I'm going to activate the chameleon circuit."

"Do it," Misato said quietly. She looked at Maya, "It works, right?"

The brown-haired woman nodded, but her voice was sad as she replied, "Yes, Wu Lin… did an outstanding job on it."

Misato sighed, wishing that the tech didn't look so pale. "Sword's on the way, Asuka," she said, "remember not to stab with it, the point hasn't been perfected."

"I know," Asuka said grimly, "but it doesn't need to be… for me to carve this son of a bitch to pieces…"

Shinji watched as a weapons tower rose near Asuka's position, and the hilt of a sword sprung from the top.

"Now," the redhead whispered, "I'm gonna show you how we do it back where I come from…"

Unit 02 abruptly vanished.

"Wow," Misato said, her tone showing approval, "I thought it would kinda fade out…"

"Going to radio silence," Asuka said, "next time you hear from me… I'll be standing over a dead angel…"

Several tense minutes passed as the angel continued to draw nearer to the city, then a huge gout of blood issued from the creature's side, and a long gash appeared in its inky flesh.

Misato frowned as she saw the progressive sword shimmer into existence for a moment before disappearing again. "Is the sword coated?" she asked Maya.

"No," the tech said, shaking her head for emphasis, "but the way the circuitry works, anything Unit 02 holds is also invisible, to a certain degree."

"To a certain degree??" Misato exploded, "Do you know what that means? That means Asuka's a target!"

"There's only a fraction of a second where it becomes visible," Maya said, "the Magi have indicated that this angel doesn't have that kind of reaction time."

"You always believe your computers?" the purple-haired woman asked darkly.

Maya had no response.

**

Shinji let out a shaky breath as another burst f blood erupted from the angel's side. "Maybe she can do this…" he whispered.

He spoke too soon.

As a third cut appeared, the angel's tail lashed out, slamming into what appeared to be thin air. With a burst of electricity, Unit 02 came back into view, the sword flying from its hand as it was sent careening backward to crash to the ground less than a hundred feet from where Unit 01 stood.

Slowly, the red mecha got to its feet. "W-what… happened…" Asuka stammered, dazed

"_Asuka_!!"

Shinji knew that she wouldn't be able to react in time… so he reacted for her.

Asuka's breath left her in a rush as Unit 02 was knocked to the ground, thrown there by Unit 01 a moment before the angel's ray weapon opened fire.

"No!!" she gasped, unable to scream due to the sudden loss of LCL in her lungs as Unit 01 took the full brunt of the assault.

Shinji's scream of pain echoed over the tac-net, only to be cut off abruptly.

"Unit 01 has ceased transmission," Maya whispered, stunned by the reality of it, "I can't get pilot life-signs… all systems are down…"

"Shinji…?" Asuka whispered, dazed, "Shinji?"

Misato flinched as the Second Child's scream burst through the command center.

"Three Units down," Makoto said, his voice shaky, "the angel is practically unharmed…"

On the screen, the shadowy angel seemed to pause… regarding the scene before it almost curiously.

And rightly so, as Unit 02 dropped to its knees and cradled Unit 01's head in its lap as if both Units were people rather than fifty-story bio-weapons.

"Asuka!" Misato called, "fall back!"

"There's only one more, honey…" Asuka's soft words filled the command room, "just one more after this one… then we'll go… remember? You said anywhere I wanted to go… so you better keep your promise, Shinji… ok? Ok?"

The angel began moving again, advancing on the two prone mecha.

"All mass-production series EVAs are ejecting their plugs!!" Maya exclaimed suddenly, "We can't stop them!"

"What's going on!?!" Misato demanded, trying not to let her panic show, "Is it the angel??"

"Wait…" Maya looked at her screen, "05 still has its plug."

"Kaworu?"

The gray-haired boy's face appeared on the main screen, looking very calm. "Don't be scared…" he said quietly, "I've decided…"

Everyone on the command deck watched the screen in silence as the Fifth Child bowed his head and began speaking.

"I thought I knew what love was…" the red-eyed boy said quietly, tears slipping down his cheeks, "Shinji showed me I was wrong… not just by stepping in the way of that blast, but by the light in his eyes whenever he saw Asuka. And Angelica showed me I was wrong… fighting instead of letting one of her friends go, even though she knew taking the lead could be dangerous…"

He raised his head again, "All of you showed me… by caring for each other… by working together – even though some of you don't like each other." He sighed," Thank you all. I know what love is now… and I will fight for those I love." His eyes met Rei's through the tac-net monitor system, and he smiled. "Remember that there are other enemies in this world, Mother…"

"What is he talking about?" Misato whispered to herself.

"The EVAs!" Maya exclaimed, "They're all still active!"

"What? How is that possible!?" the Operations Director demanded.

In the damaged Unit 00, Rei put her hand on the screen, smiling softly. "Thank you…" she whispered, knowing that he couldn't hear her due to the condition of her mecha, but saying the words anyway. "Thank you… my child…"

The white EVAs began to circle the angel, slowly forming a ring around the creature, with Unit 05 standing directly in front of it.

"You may not have them, brother…" Kaworu whispered, "I have decided… I have decided to serve the Lillim."

The angel stopped, as if it could hear his words, and a high-pitched, keening wail seemed to emanate from somewhere inside its dark body.

"Yes," Kaworu said sadly, "I know what you must do… so let us end it."

As one, the white EVAs surged forward, their lances at the ready.

One after another, the angel swatted them down, using its ray, its limbs, its tail – everything at its disposal… but failing to understand that they were never the threat. As the last Unit fell, Unit 05 charged, running its lance through the creature's chest as it was distracted, seeking its core with the tip of the deadly weapon… and finding it.

NERV Headquarters was rocked as the angel exploded, wiping a large section of the outlying districts of Tokyo-3 off the face of the earth… and taking all of the white EVAs, and the boy known as Kaworu, with it into oblivion…

To be concluded…

Author's notes: wow… that was something. Just one more chapter to go, and maybe an epilogue, depending on how the last chapter goes.

Ryoma gets the pre-read thanks yet again… hang tight bro, just one more and you're free. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	18. Breaking the Chain

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Part 18

Breaking the Chain

By Random1377

"Mommy… where are we going again?"

Misato paused to smile up at her daughter, "Just a little trip out of town, honey," she replied, turning back to her packing, "and I think Nozomi's going to come with us, since her family's going somewhere else, and she doesn't want to go with them."

"Why isn't Daddy going?" Reiko pouted.

"He's meeting us there," the purple-haired woman said, frowning slightly, "I told you that." Not that she was happy about this wrinkle in their plans, but she would live with it.

"I want him to come with now," her daughter said, folding her arms and compressing her lips into a determined line.

"You know something?" Misato said gently, "I do too…"

Seeing that this wasn't going to do any good, Reiko changed her line of questioning. "Is it hot in Okeynawa?"

"It's hot everywhere in Japan, baby," her mother replied, suppressing a smile, "but Okinawa is supposed to be nicer than here." –And if it's nice enough,- she added mentally, -we just won't come back…-

That this was more a scouting trip than a vacation was a detail she didn't think her little girl needed to have. Misato longed to leave Tokyo-3, and all the bad memories it evoked, far behind – further than Okinawa, if she could arrange it… like many of the pilots had.

In the month since the last battle, just about all the Children had left – or were going to leave – the city, citing various reasons. For many, there was really no reason to stay. The angels were gone… the EVAs were almost all destroyed… and all the city held was the ghosts of the deceased.

Mira had been the first to leave, heading back to France where she had an old flame she was anxious to rekindle things with. David had been next, shrugging when Misato had asked where he was going and saying simply, 'Long as the drinks are cold… I don't care. Tell Shinji I said bye.'

At the time, Shinji was still in the hospital, recovering from the last angel fight… and Misato couldn't understand why the Russian hadn't just dropped in and told him goodbye himself.

Shinji had shrugged, smiling as he said it was probably best this way.

"We'd probably both just end up pretending we were tough and making the other promise to keep in touch…"

Melissa was still in the city, but only for another week. She was waiting to leave until the band she had longed to see held their reunion tour. 'It's a simple thing, really,' she had said with a smile, 'but right now… simple sounds good, you know?'

Alejandro was still around, too… staying with Xiang as she slowly continued recovering. It hadn't really been a shock to Misato when they had announced their engagement – she had been one of the few to know of their clandestine relationship.

Touji, of course, would probably never leave… he was too stubborn, and too proud to admit that things like memories bothered him. He might leave if Hikari asked him too, but she seemed content to be wherever he was… and their wedding was coming up in three months, so they wouldn't go anywhere until then, at least.

-Rei will stay for a while too…- Misato thought, pausing in her packing again to watch her daughter trying to touch her tongue to her nose, a trick Nozomi had insisted (with a wink at Misato) was possible if you kept practicing, -she might be going out with Kensuke, but she's still Commander… and I doubt if she would just brush off her duties to go skipping town.-

She imagined that the blue-haired girl would leave eventually – she had mentioned it in passing two weeks after the attack, and Rei never mentioned anything in passing. Her second in command, Hines, had asked for some personal leave, and had left the city for a week-long trip with his family only three days prior – something he had not been able to do for years.

__

"I'll be nice to get away from the city for a while…"

Though Misato had not had any strong feelings for the German, she could definitely relate to _that_ sentiment.

Angelica would be kept in the NERV hospital. Though the war was over, and most of the Children had been discharged, NERV still had the best care facility on the planet – and Misato had heard that one of the head psychiatrists felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough with the former Ninth Child.

Though what might happen when she found out her lover had died in battle, Misato did not know.

-Asuka…- the purple-haired woman thought, -I hope she and Shinji will come to see us off – they said they would…-

Of all the pilots, they were the only ones still considered 'active,' as theirs were the only two Units to survive the cataclysmic final battle. NERV still had Unit 09, but it had somehow become non-functional after the attack that had rendered Angelica catatonic. Maya theorized it was something to do with the Ninth's sync ratio at the time, which had shot up to over one hundred percent. The tech said that it was likely the Unit would never work again… but they still kept it around – NERV was hesitant to throw anything away.

As for Maya herself, she and Shigeru had tendered their resignations the day after the last attack. They were still in the city, but they never came to NERV – ever. Misato had asked Maya why one day, when she had met her by accident at a supermarket. The brown-haired woman had looked away and said, 'I don't work there anymore…' she had then changed the subject.

Asuka had stayed with Shinji as he recuperated, telling Misato that she had gone through too much to _ever_ leave him of her own free will again. They had been married in the hospital three days after Shinji had first woken from his five-day coma – the soonest he had been able to stand. Reiko had been the ring-bearer, and Touji had been the best man.

"Mommy?" Reiko said suddenly, "Why isn't Shinji coming with us?"

Misato sighed. It was a question she had asked herself many times – and them, as well. "They're going somewhere else, honey," she replied, "somewhere they can be alone…"

The little girl cocked her head to the side, "But they're gonna have a baby…" she pointed out, "they won't be alone."

Her mother laughed. "I guess not," she said, shaking her head at her daughter's logic, "but they still want to go somewhere by themselves."

The news that Asuka was pregnant had come like a bolt from the blue… and Misato could tell by the redhead's dazed expression when she told her the news that she felt that way too.

__

"So… yeah… I'm gonna be a mother… eight months…"

Misato smiled. –You'll do just fine…- she thought, recalling the tears that had followed the Second Child's confession.

"What happened to Daddy's hand?" Reiko asked, changing the subject without preamble.

"He cut it, honey," her mother said with a sigh, "that's why he's staying a few days. The doctors wanted to make sure there it was all better before he went anywhere."

She frowned slightly, still struck by the oddness of the whole situation. Kaji had cut his hand on a piece of equipment in the depths of Terminal Dogma – something that had to do with angels… and the doctors had been worried about possible 'angelic contamination' as he put it.

And this was day before yesterday, so he wasn't permitted to leave just yet.

But what was he doing there? And what could be down there that had to do with angels?

-Too many questions without answers…- she thought, zipping the suitcase closed, -and we have to get to the airport, so I can't even squeeze it out of him…-

She smiled and blushed slightly as she thought of how she might elicit that information.

"Ready?" she asked the now-bouncing young girl.

"Uh huh!" Reiko said, nodding emphatically, "Can we get cotton candy??"

Misato laughed, "It's a plane, honey… not an amusement park." She winked at the crestfallen little girl, "But if you're good… we'll stop on the way and pick up some pockey for the trip, sound good?"

As her daughter practically screamed an affirmative and picked up her little carry-on bag, Misato looked around the room. –Lots of memories…- she thought, her eyes falling on the corner where Reiko's crib used to sit. –Maybe…- she thought, smiling softly, -now that this is all over… I'm not _that_ old. We could try for one more…-

Still smiling, she hoisted the suitcase… switched off the light… and walked out the door, visions of the future dancing in her head.

**

"There's a storm coming…" Shinji mused quietly, looking out the window, "we should get going if we're gonna meet them at the airport."

"Mmmm…" Asuka hummed, snuggling closer to his side, "just a few more minutes… too comfy…"

He nodded, running his fingers idly through her long, red tresses. "I was thinking…" he began slowly, "maybe Germany… what do you think?"

"You're a sap," she said, smiling as she kissed his shoulder, "just because I'm from there doesn't mean I really want to go back… but it's sweet of you to offer…"

He leaned forward and kissed the end of her nose. "Then where would you like to go, Misses Ikari?"

She grinned. "Well I don't know, Mister Ikari," she paused to kiss him, "I hear France is nice this time of year, and Mira _did_ offer to let us stay with her."

Shinji laughed. "I thought she was kidding…"

Asuka shook her head, her tone becoming thoughtful. "At first, I did too…" she admitted, "but the way she looked at me… Shinji, she hoped we would say yes."

"Well," Shinji said with a shrug, "they say that soldiers in a war are forced to become close – even if they don't really like each other they want to keep close to the people they fought with." His gaze became far off as he concluded, "It gives them something to hold on to, and they know that only the people that experienced what they experienced can truly understand them."

Asuka smiled, biting back her initial comment that perhaps he was reading too much into it. "France it is, then…" she said softly.

Abruptly she leaned forward and bit his side, drawing a startled yelp as she quickly scooted out of the bed. "Get up, lazy!" she said with a laugh, "Or we won't get to the airport on time!"

"ME!?" he burst out, trying to sound angry… but finding it difficult through his laughter, "I'm not the one who said, 'Oh honey… I'm soooo comfortable resting here on your manly chest, I couldn't possibly leave.'"

"Neither am I!" she laughed, pulling the blankets off the bed, "I think we both know that your chest is anything but-"

She never got to finish, as he slipped out of the bed and embraced her, kissing hr firmly.

As they parted, she lay her head on his shoulder. "Mmmmm…" she whispered, "when we get home from the airport… let's pack, ok? Tomorrow, we can go in to NERV and tell Wondergirl that we're leaving."

He nodded. "Six years…" he mused, smiling as she leaned back to meet his eyes, "after six years, it's finally all going to be over…"

She sighed as he put his right hand gently on her stomach. "Let's go say goodbye to Misato," she said softly, "and we can tell her where she can find us…"

As they began dressing, Shinji said, "You know this means our daughter will be legally French, right?"

"How do you know it's going to be a girl?" Asuka asked, quirking one eyebrow up, "last time I checked, _you_ don't have a uterus…"

He laughed out loud, pulling on his shirt. "Just a feeling I have is all…" he said.

"Well, we're not naming it Rei," she said shaking her head emphatically, "uh-uh… so don't even think about it! I know you like her, you freak!"

Instead of the laughter she expected, he sobered. "If it's a boy," he asked quietly, "can we name him Kaworu?"

Asuka smiled gently, "We'll see, honey… now come on, let's get going."

They finished getting ready and headed out the door, agreeing that they would visit the gray-haired boy's gravesite before they left Tokyo-3.

It was to be the longest day either of them had ever known.

**

Sandelphon slowly came to consciousness, brought up from her troubled 'sleep' by the awareness that she was no longer alone.

Angels never truly slept – since they had S^2 organs, with unlimited energy at their disposal, they had no need… though Sandelphon would often drift in her LCL, allowing her senses to grow hazy and imagining that this must be what sleep was like.

"Is it time then?" the angel asked, gazing through the thick glass at the figure resting with its hand on the manual release for her tank's explosive launch system.

"Do you understand why this must be?" the figure inquired.

If she had had anything resembling a human head, Sandelphon would have nodded. "Of course…" she replied, "unless all of the messengers are gone, the Lillim cannot ascend."

"Can you… forgive me?"

"Yes…" the angel replied, "but before you do it… may I ask a favor?"

"What is it?" the figure asked.

"Before I die…" Sandelphon whispered, "will you use the word I want to hear?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Yes," came the reply, "I can do that for you… daughter…"

As Rei pulled the switch, Sandelphon whispered three final words,

"Thank you… Mother…"

Rei watched as the tank was launched into the sky, a pistol dangling loosely from her right hand. 

"There was no other way," her advisor said gently, stepping out of the shadows behind her.

Rei whipped her arm around, leveling the gun at the man's chest. 

"Please do not do that," she said after a moment, lowering the weapon.

Kaji smiled, lowering his hands (which he had raised automatically – he had been at gunpoint before). "Sorry," he said, "but we really do need to hurry… my sources indicated that the attack will come any time now."

Rei nodded, looking back up at the hole the tank had been propelled through. "Yes…" she acknowledged, "it is time…"

Together, they made their way from the room, pausing for a moment as Rei looked back over her shoulder… bidding a silent farewell to the creature she had come to think of as her friend… if not her child.

"Goodbye," she whispered to the now-empty room.

At her side, Kaji frowned. "Now is not the time to grow sentimental, Rei," he said softly, opening the door so she could precede him into the elevator.

"She deserved that much," the blue-haired girl said, stepping past him, "after all that we-"

Her thought went unfinished as she felt the sharp prick of a needle enter her neck.

Kaji caught her as she slumped forward, a look of infinite surprise on her face as her crimson eyes rolled closed.

"Forgive me," he whispered as he eased her down onto the floor, "but time really is short… for what we have to do, and for our race – and my girl needs a future, Rei… I hope you can understand."

Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a small transmitter. "Begin the operation," he said softly.

As the elevator rose, he slowly began unbuttoning Rei's jacket… wincing as the stitches in his right hand protested the movement.

-For you, Reiko…- he thought sadly, -this is all for you…-

**

Makoto Hyouga was on duty when everything went to hell.

"Sensors are picking up something," one of the lesser techs said, sounding frustrated, "I think they're acting up… they've got it classified as an EVA carrier."

"Nothing scheduled to fly today," Makoto said, stretching tiredly, "I'll have the sensors checked later…" -Ten hour shifts suck,- he thought, fighting back a yawn, -least it's almost over…-

On a whim, he turned to the other tech. "Do we have a visual feed? I wanna get a tape to show Technical when I ream them for this… damn system is supposed to be the best in the world…"

-Probably a personal jet,- he mused as the other tech began typing in commands, -or maybe a hang-glider, like last…- "Oh my God…" he whispered, his jaw dropping open as the visual came up on the main screen.

"Sir!" another tech spoke up, "I've got reports of ground forces moving into the city!"

Makoto could only nod, his eyes fixed on the screen, where the unmistakable form of an EVA carrier was indeed winging its way towards Tokyo-3.

-It's less than fifteen miles out,- he thought, unbelieving, -it'll be here in less then four minutes!- "Sound the alarm!" He called out, "Seal the entrances and evacuate all non-essential personnel to the angel shelters!"

He knew this wouldn't take long, as NERV had been running mostly on a skeleton crew since the last angel had been defeated.

"What is that?" he whispered, squinting as he tried to focus on the object attached to the EVA carrier, "Can't be a mass-production Unit…" he mumbled as the alarm began sounding, "we took all of them when SEELE was destroyed…"

Suddenly, he knew what he was looking at.

"Good, Holy God…" he gasped, his eyes opening wide, "try to contact Shinji and Asuka!" he ordered frantically, "Maybe it's not too late…"

Plainly visible on the screen… dangling beneath the lazily banking carrier… was Evangelion Unit 04.

**

"Misses Kaji?" Nozomi said, trying to look everywhere at once, "What's happening?"

Misato peered around the corner. "Something bad," she said softly, not at all in the mood to try and comfort the scared girl, "something really bad… but if we can get to my work, we should be ok."

Reiko's eyes were wide. "Will Daddy be there?" she asked, looking more excited by the prospect of seeing her father at work than scared that there was an alarm sounding throughout the city.

The purple-haired woman nodded absently, tightening her grip on the little girl's hand. "Yes, honey… let's drop in and say hi to him, ok?"

"Ok!" Reiko said happily.

"Will we be ok?" Nozomi asked, her voice tinged with panic, "How far is it? Shouldn't we get to a shelter?"

"No time," Misato said, stepping out of the alley they had ducked into when the dense traffic had forced them to leave their car. –If we hadn't stopped for Nozomi,- she thought, holding her gun tightly, -we would have been at the airport. Good thing we stopped, or it would take twice as long to get there…-

They began to move down the sidewalk, Misato holding Reiko's hand, who was in turn holding Nozomi's – an odd little chain of command, going from mother… to daughter… to caregiver. The Operations Director estimated that it had been about ten minutes since they had seen the carrier release its silvery cargo, dropping it on the far side of the city.

-Pilot must be a rookie,- she thought, a trace of hope entering her mind, -overshot his drop zone.- She could hear the EVA walking slowly through the city, taking its time as it approached Headquarters. –They probably don't expect resistance,- she thought, -and they're right – who would fight an EVA? All our pilots are gone except for Asuka and Shinji, and they're probably at the airport waiting for me and- - 

Her thought broke off as a figure stepped out of the alley in front of her, backlit by the sun.

Misato's gun was up before the other person even noticed she was there. "Freeze!" she commanded, "Don't move even an inch!"

"Ok, Mom…" Shinji's voice came to her, sounding startled… but amused.

"Geez, Misato…" Asuka said, stepping out of the alley, "maybe you should try decaf?"

"Shinji? Asuka?" Misato said, blinking as she recognized the two, "What are you doing here?"

"Hoping you don't shoot us, for one," Asuka said dryly, "mind pointing that thing somewhere else?"

"Sorry," Misato said, realizing she was still aiming her gun at her son's chest, "there are troops moving into the city, can't be too careful…"

"I understand," Shinji said, "that's why we're on the way to NERV. We were headed to the airport… kinda got a late start," he shot Asuka a narrow look, but she just smiled, "and we got caught in the rush to leave the city."

"Let's go then," Misato said firmly, "you saw the carrier, right?"

The two Children nodded, all traces of humor gone from their eyes.

"I don't know how," Shinji said, "I don't know why – but that was Unit 04. We need to get to-"

"Shinji!" Reiko shouted, apparently deciding she had held her tongue long enough.

Shinji let out a surprised grunt as the little girl pulled away from her mother and threw herself at him, "Carry me!" she demanded, giggling happily.

Asuka laughed as the purple-haired girl all but climbed her husband, sighing happily as he finally regained his senses and put his arms around her.

"How about saying please next time," Shinji muttered as Misato joined Asuka in her amusement.

"I don't have to!" Reiko said haughtily, "You're _my_ Shinji! I can do what I want with you!"

"Sounds like you," Misato said, winking at Asuka

The redhead's laughter choked off as she turned a brilliant shade of red. "Be quiet…" she muttered, avoiding the older woman's eyes.

"Ummm… excuse me," Nozomi said hesitantly, "but umm… shouldn't we go?"

They all agreed that that probably _would_ be best, and continued on their way, trying to figure out how they would get in to the undoubtedly-sealed base.

"I know how!" Reiko said unexpectedly, "Why don't we just…"

All the grownups stared at the little girl in silent wonder as she outlined her simple plan.

"I'm glad you have kids, Misato," Asuka said as they neared the base, "she's much better at tactics than you…"

"Be quiet…" the purple-haired woman muttered.

But secretly, she was glad too. She never would have considered her daughter's simple, yet effective plan.

She allowed herself a small smile.

-If we get out of this,- she thought, -I'm gonna reconsider giving her that allowance she's been asking for…-

It made her feel good to think of something so mundane, because if she was still together enough to think about whether or not to give her daughter a few hundred yen every now and then, she was together enough to get them all through this...

**

Kaji sighed in frustration. "Well," he mused, "it was a long-shot…"

He knelt and scooped Rei back into his arms, turning away from the failed experiment behind him.

-I suppose this leaves only one alternative,- he thought grimly.

He had been sure that the Lance of Longinus (the true one) and Units 01 and 02 would be enough for his plans… but it had not gone well – due to Unit 01, he was sure.

"Overprotective woman," he muttered to himself, "can't you see what I'm trying to do?"

Yui Ikari had played a major part in the development of the EVAs… and Kaji was certain that it was her presence that had stymied his attempt. If not directly in this endeavor, then at the very least by somehow stopping the installation of the crucial S^2 engine in Unit 01. He had hoped that one would be enough, and that using the Lance to link the Units would bridge the two.

He had been most disappointed to find that this was not the case.

Shaking his head, he headed out of the EVA cages. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this…" he whispered to the limp form cradled in his arms, "but I don't have any other choice…"

-Soon it will all be over,- he thought, -God forgive me…-

Somehow, he doubted He would…

**

"Hurry up!" Asuka said, holding her hand out to Shinji, "Didn't you hear Misato? They're probably gonna flood this whole floor with Bakelite!!"

Shinji took her hand, squirming his way out of the tight area and muttering, "I'm hurrying."

Reiko looked happier than her mother had ever seen her… and rightly so – it took a genius, a fool, or a child to come up with the movie-esque idea of climbing through the ventilation shafts.

"NERV Headquarters," Asuka said grandly, "home of the Evangelions – mankind's last defense against the evil, invading angels… compromised by a four-year old girl."

Misato laughed as they hurried towards the EVA cages. "Well," she said, "I doubt the designers had to contend with the imagination of a movie-loving daughter of an Operations Director."

"Don't try and take credit," Asuka laughed, feeling her spirits climbing with every step, "she gets her brains from her father."

"And her taste in movies from her Aunt," Shinji grinned, laughing himself as Nozomi blushed.

The EVA cages were fairly deep in the complex, and they decided to hold off on further discussion until they reached the locker room. As they arrived, they heard Makoto's voice. 

"Target is thirty minutes out," he announced, "it's moving slowly. Ground troops are almost here, commencing Bakelite injection to upper levels in four minutes, all personnel clear the area."

"Good timing," Misato panted as Shinji and Asuka began to strip out of their clothes.

"Should we tell them we're here?" Shinji asked, throwing his shirt absently to the side.

Asuka sighed and shook her head, grinning as she spotted Nozomi's wide eyes fixed on her husband, "You have no idea how to make an entrance, honey…"

"Target is confirmed as Evangelion Unit 04," Makoto's voice came over the speaker system.

"SEELE must have faked its destruction and stashed it away somewhere," Misato said thoughtfully, "you guys will have to get the pilot out, and then destroy it."

"Where are you going?" Asuka asked as the woman took Reiko by the hand and headed for the door, "Aren't you going to coordinate for us?"

"I promised my little girl she could see her Daddy," Misato replied with a smile, "and I need to make sure he's not still at his desk, merrily working away will the world goes to hell all around him." She turned to the youngest of the Horaki family, "You stay here, ok? We're pretty deep in Headquarters… you'll be safe here."

"I, ummm… know where the command room is," Nozomi said hesitantly, pulling her eyes away from the handsome, almost naked man in front of her and blushing deeply, "can I go there? I don't wanna be all alone…"

Misato nodded, "Ok… I forgot that your sister's marrying a pilot… will you be ok getting there by yourself?"

Nozomi nodded, forcing a smile. "I-I think so…" she said hesitantly, "everyone's being so brave… I think I can do this…"

The purple-haired woman smiled reassuringly. "I have promises to keep, or I'd go with you… sorry."

"It's ok," the younger woman said, moving past her to the door, "I'll be fine."

"She's a good kid," Shinji said as the door closed.

"Yeah," Misato said drawing her pistol. –Just in case,- she thought. "She's the only person I trust with my little girl… so…" she trailed off. "Wasting time," she said with a shake of her head, "good luck you two… make me proud…"

As she walked out, the two Children finished undressing.

"I think your plugsuit looks better," Shinji said, quickly pulling his out of the locker (since they were the only two pilots left, the locker rooms had been consolidated), "mine just looks stupid…"

"I think the blue accentuates your eyes," Asuka said with a grin, "not as well as it accentuates your ass, though…"

"Funny," the Third said absently, "I always fancied myself an autumn… and your ass is much better, too… I think I got the short end of the stick somehow…"

"Well that's true,," the redhead laughed, pressurizing her suit. "You ready, baby?" she asked a moment later.

Pressurizing his suit, he nodded. "Yeah, let's get this taken care of…" he smiled, "this is the last time, honey… let's show them how we do it!"

She grinned, "Why Shinji," she said, feigning amazement, "I never knew you were so forceful… you're getting me all hot and bothered."

"Well then we better hurry up and smash Unit 04," he said seductively, "and take care of that for you…"

She stuck her tongue out, pushing the door to the cages open. "Perv."

"Hey," he said, "you started… what is it?" he asked as she stopped short, almost causing him to run into her.

"Shouldn't there be ummm… EVAs in here?" she asked quietly.

"What?" he asked, stepping past her.

Instead of the familiar forms of Unit 01 and Unit 02, there was a sprawling mass of organic matter. The vaguely humanoid outlines against the wall were covered with a twisted, red coating… and their forms were oddly soft, as if whatever was all over them had partially eaten them.

A long, formerly lance-shaped bridge ran between the units, impaling them at the cores… which were both dark and dead looking.

Shinji looked at his wife.

"Call me crazy," he mumbled, his voice shaking, "but I don't think we can pilot those."

"Well, you _are_ crazy…" she returned, gazing up at the mutated mecha, "but you're right, these things aren't going to work today…" she narrowed her blue eyes thoughtfully, "or ever again I'd say…"

"What now?" asked, taking her hand.

With a sigh, she turned away from the twisted hulks. "I guess we head back to the command bridge…"

"Why?"

Asuka smiled sadly. "So we can get a front row seat…" she said softly, "don't want to miss the big show, do you?"

"Asuka…" he said, holding her in place as she started for the door, "it's not over yet…"

"Did I say it was?" she asked, her smile becoming a bit more genuine, "Come on… maybe we can help somehow, I dunno…"

They left the ruined EVAs behind, heading quickly towards the command center, unsure of what they might be able to do, but unwilling to stand idle while those they knew fought.

Because that's what heroes do.

**

"Do we have _anything_ we can throw at it?" Makoto asked dismally, "Anything at all?"

"No sir…" the other tech replied, "but Unit 09 has been launched underwater, as you instructed."

"Good," Makoto said with a sigh, "at least Angelica will be safe…"

"And we won't? Don't be such a pessimist! Geez, I didn't get all dirty crawling through those shafts for this!"

Makoto spun around. "Asuka! Shinji! How did you get here?"

"You really don't want to know," Shinji said with a grimace, "let's just say that NERV isn't as secure as one might hope."

Makoto smiled, relief evident on his face. "Thank God you two are here… we can get you to the cages in… what?" he trailed off as the two shook their heads, then slumped a bit as they explained the situation with the EVAs. "Great," he muttered, "well, it was nice working with you two…"

"Don't be so negative!" Asuka said suddenly, "I won't have that under my command!"

Shinji and Makoto both blinked as the redhead walked up to the tech and folded her arms.

"Has our base been compromised?" she asked, her tone level, "Is Unit 04 _here_ yet?" Makoto shook his head, his mouth gaping open as the Second Child leaned closer to him, shouting, "Are we going to kill fifteen angels, lose four of our own pilots, save the whole Goddamn world and then _roll the fuck over?!?!_"

"N-no, ma'am!"

"Damn right!" Asuka said, ascending to the command Dais, "The chain of command is unbroken," she declared calmly, addressing the entire room, "Commander Ayanami is absent, Second in Command Hines is absent… so the duty falls to me – since I was chosen by the Commander as her stand-in, should she be injured." She looked around, meeting the eyes of everyone on the command deck, "Are there any objections?"

Seeing that there were none, she nodded, taking the command seat. "Now get me all the information we have on Unit 04's capabilities – I'm assuming it's S^2 active, so we'll need…"

Shinji watched in wonder as his wife rattled off a string of orders, never once showing any doubt that they would be obeyed. And slowly, the command room became what it was supposed to be – the heart of NERV, with everyone doing their appointed tasks, and the Commander overseeing it all with an air of cool, collected determination.

It took his breath away.

"Mister Ikari?" 

Shinji turned around. "Nozomi?" he asked, "What are you doing hiding back there?"

"I… didn't want to be in the way," the girl said, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

Shinji smiled, then held his arms out to her. "It's ok, you won't be…" he said quietly.

Nozomi flushed, but stepped closer, hugging the pilot tightly. –I'm not going to cry…- she thought, -I'm not…-

Shinji continued to watch Asuka, smiling gently as she proved that she was well suited to the job… and holding his sister's babysitter close to him as she quietly broke the promise she had made to herself.

**

The citizens of Tokyo-3 had grown used to the sounds of the angel alarm… but this was the first time in six years that the enemy had reached the inner city.

Those that couldn't make it to a shelter hid where they could, watching with wide eyes as the silver EVA picked its way through the city, oddly appearing to be watching its step. The soldiers were a new wrinkle, too… hard-looking men carrying assault rifles, marching through the city.

"Attention."

A woman's voice began sounding over the announcement system in the city, and had anyone been watching their TV, they would have seen the image of a young redhead, wearing a skintight red bodysuit.

"This is Asuka Langley Ikari, Acting Commander of NERV," the woman said calmly, "we are currently under attack by forces unknown, and request immediate assistance. I am broadcasting this message on all frequencies in the hopes that it will reach someone with the ability to lend us a hand."

Her voice grew hard. "To the soldiers preparing to attack this installation," she said coldly, "we will not surrender… we will defend ourselves to the fullest extent of our abilities – including the use of Evangelions – and we strongly recommend that you pull back now. Attention…"

The young woman repeated her message, her tone remaining calm and confident… a testament to strength of spirit and depth of character.

And like an answered prayer, someone replied…

**

"Picking up an incoming signal, Commander," Makoto said, his voice uncertain, "it's coming from… the Geofront?"

"Let's hear it…" Asuka said calmly as she finished her third recital of her message.

"Souryu…" a woman's voice inquired, sounding cracked and unused, "that you?"

"Identify yourself," the Redhead said quietly. –Who is that…?- she thought, frowning, -Sounds familiar…-

There was a moment of silence.

"I'll give you a hint," the voice replied, "I know your boyfriend pretty damn well."

Suddenly, the main screen changed from the image of the slowly advancing Unit 04, to the drawn, haggard face of the Ninth Child.

"Angie!" Asuka gasped, "You're awake!"

"Yeah," the brunette admitted, looking like she'd rather not be, "I heard you whining about needing help…" She smiled weakly, "I guess the idea of you asking for a handout was so weird, it snapped me out of it…"

The redhead grinned. "Well," she said, "we've got ourselves a bit of a problem…" She quickly outlined the situation, fighting the hope that threatened to surge up in her chest. –She just woke up,- she reminded herself, -she's weak… disoriented… and her muscles are probably atrophied… don't get too cocky…-

"Understood," Angelica said, her voice sounding better the more she used it, "where is Kaworu? I want to talk to him…"

"He's gone…" Asuka said levelly, knowing the other girl would recognize a lie from her (she never could lie to her friends), "he died fighting the last angel." Which was true, she reasoned… no need for the brunette to know the whole truth now – or ever, when it came right down to it.

The Ninth Child slumped in her seat, biting her lower lip. "I see…" she whispered, forcing her emotions down deep inside of herself, lest they should overwhelm her, "well, then I guess I better go save the day, then," she said quietly, "I won't let his sacrifice be for nothing…"

"Unit 04 is almost here," Makoto announced, "still no data on the pilot… but we are picking up a steady transmission to the Unit," he looked up at Asuka, "we're trying to hack into it – to see if we can find out who's piloting, and what instructions they're being given."

"Outstanding," Asuka said, holding Angelica's eyes with hers, "so you ready?" she asked softly, a smile quirking around her lips, "Or do you want me to come hold your hand for you?"

"Unit 09," Angelica replied quietly, smiling at the redhead, "engaging the enemy…"

Asuka watched tensely as the white mecha made its way up from the bottom of the small lake on the Geofront to the surface, using its wings to get it there once it had come out from under water. Unit 04 was nearly directly overhead, and Asuka imagined the silver machine would either come down one of the launch tubes or just cut a hole in the ground with the progressive sword it was carrying – depending on how much the enemy knew about them.

"Too much," the redhead muttered to herself as Unit 09 reached the streets above, standing motionless as it waited for the other Unit to make the first move, "they know too much about us…"

She didn't have time to analyze the situation further just then, as Unit 04 caught sight of the other EVA. 

"Here it comes!" Angelica said grimly, bracing her Unit as the silver mecha abruptly charged.

Watching the engagement onscreen, Shinji couldn't help but flinch as the titans collided, sending both sprawling to the street. –She's rusty,- he thought, watching Unit 09 picked itself up, its movements much slower than he'd ever seen, -come on, Angie… pick it up…-

It was a strange fight. Neither of the Units seemed willing to actually harm the other one.

-They both must be scared of hurting the other pilot,- Asuka thought, frowning slightly, -we can't afford that right now… she's gotta finish this so she can take care of the ground forces…- As she opened her mouth to issue the order to destroy the other EVA – regardless of the cost – new information entered into the equation.

"Signal analysis complete," Makoto announced, "definitely a dummy plug!"

"Did you catch that, Angie?" Asuka asked, "It's got no pilot – don't hold back!!"

"Roger that…" the Ninth Child said softly.

There were several gasps from those gathered in the command room as the white mecha suddenly reared back and slammed both of its fists into Unit 04's chest. The silver machine stumbled back, dropping its progressive sword and struggling to maintain its balance.

"You know what gets me?" Angelica said, her voice almost conversational… except for the cold, hard edge it held, "Is how anyone could think that a fucking machine could ever match up to a human…"

Shinji let out a low whistle as Unit 09 unfurled its wings, bringing them up and over its shoulders to slam into the sides of the other Unit.

"Now then," the Ninth Child said calmly, keeping Unit 04 pinned with her machine's powerful wings, "let me show you how to use this…"

Several of the technicians on the command bridge were violently ill as the white EVA slowly stooped down, retrieved Unit 04's lost progressive weapon… and proceeded to use it to savagely cut the silver EVA into its component pieces. The fight (if it could even be called that) lasted more than five minutes, and the white EVA didn't let up until the streets of Tokyo-3 were running with blood.

"Class dismissed," Angelica said coldly, bringing her now-crimson EVA to its feet and dropping the progressive sword on the remains of her opponent.

"Nicely done," Asuka commented, her tone neutral as she studied the other woman's features on the main screen, "remind me not to piss _you_ off in the kitchen…"

"Incoming message," Makoto announced, his voice ecstatic, "there's a United States warship that's been running maneuvers not too far from here… and they have a full brigade of soldiers on board. They estimate five hours until they can reach us – but with no EVA to worry about, the Bakelite should hold out at _least_ ten…" he was smiling broadly, "we're gonna be ok!"

The redhead nodded, but kept her eyes on the monitor, where their unexpected savior was about to speak.

"Asuka…" the Ninth Child said quietly, ignoring the bloody mass at her feet, "about Shinji and me… I just wanted to-"

"You know what, Angie?" Asuka cut her softly, meeting the brunette's eyes through the monitor, "Don't. Just let it go, ok?" She smiled, "Done is done…" she whispered, "there's no going back… so how about we move forward?"

"Thank you…" the other woman said, wiping her eyes.

"Hey…" the redhead said with a sudden, broad grin, "I'm gonna be a mother…"

And just like that… the tension was gone.

Shinji smiled as the two friends began an animated conversation about menial things, completely unaware of the fact that everyone on the command deck was watching them with amazement… or not caring, if they were aware of it. The Third Child knew that things would be ok now. If Asuka had enough compassion in her heart to forgive him _and_ Angelica, then truly – all was right with the world.

Of course, Shinji had no way of knowing what was happening far beneath his feet – where the _true_ struggle for mankind's future was about to unfold…

**

In the heart of Terminal Dogma, the most heavily guarded door in all of NERV slowly slid open, allowing two people to enter, one carrying the other. They crossed the large, open space until they got to the huge, red cross… where the second angel was hanging by two immense spikes.

Kaji set the limp girl down on the floor in front of the cross, like some sort of odd sacrifice to an ancient and forgotten god. 

"I wish there was another way," he said softly, unwinding the bandages from his hand to reveal the form of the first angel, Adam.

"Yeah," a voice said behind him, "me too… now if you don't mind, step away from the Commander… slowly, please."

Kaji rose to his feet, turning to find Kensuke standing near 'Heaven's Door', as the techs liked to call it. "Mister Aida," he said calmly, ignoring the gun in the man's hand, "what a surprise."

"For me too," the younger man said, his tone flat, "imagine my bafflement at seeing you carrying my – naked – commanding officer through the halls. I figured that that was something I should check out."

"Mmmm…" Kaji hummed, nodding sagely, "and you were just on a routine inspection of the most classified area in NERV…"

Kensuke smiled faintly. "You should know that my assignment is to watch over the Commander," he said matter-of-factly, "she told me not to follow her… but that would be against my original orders, now wouldn't it?" His smile disappeared, "It took me a while to find her again after she disappeared into that elevator… it was mostly luck that I happened to be in the hallway across from the one leading here when you appeared."

"Luck," Kaji mused, "that's one way of putting it, I guess…"

"Tell me why you're doing this," Kensuke said quietly, "after all the trouble you went through to destroy SEELE… why would you continue with their plans?"

"Ever read the Bible?" the pony-tailed man inquired, lowering and folding his arms in spite of the gun pointed his way, "I find the book of Revelations to be very interesting. The last days of man… plagues… fires… catastrophes…" he shook his head, "but what the Bible doesn't talk about is the _real_ danger facing man."

"And that is?"

"Stagnation," Kaji replied, "we've reached the top, my young friend… there's nowhere else to go but down."

"First off," Kensuke said quietly, "so what? Second off, when did you decide that _you_ knew what was best for all of us?"

Kaji smiled. "So what?" he repeated wonderingly, "It doesn't bother you that we'll never get any better? That we'll _always_ be fighting and killing each other over petty squabbles and silly lines drawn on a map? The angels were messengers from God… telling us that our time is up. The more I read SEELE's plans and secret documents, the more I realized they were right – this is the only path for us."

Kensuke frowned, "Did it ever occur to you that the angel's were sent to deliver a different message?"

"What might that be?" Kaji asked, quirking an eyebrow up.

"That we should appreciate what we have," the Section Two man replied, lowering his gun, "that we have great lives – or the potential to have great lives, if we can just get past our doubts and fears and seize it."

"You sound like Fuyutsuki," Kaji grinned, "but even he had the wisdom to see that that was a flawed ideal."

"No," Kensuke argued, "he was blinded by his own desires and longings – I read his psyche report."

"You know quite a bit," Kaji said approvingly.

"Section Two is an intelligence division as well," Kensuke pointed out, "I need to know about everyone I work with… including you."

Kaji smiled. "Well, spare me your analysis," he said dryly, "I'm sure it reads something to the effect that I'm a stalwart seeker of truth, but that I had a tendency to take things to the extreme – being unable to let an idea go once I set my mind to it." The other man nodded, and Kaji concluded, "Then you must know I won't give this up."

"Why have the attack?" Kensuke asked, realizing that this line of conversation was getting him nowhere.

"I had to create a distraction," Kaji explained, "if everyone was busy with an outside attack, no one would notice what was going on in the EVA cages… but I didn't bank on the Lance not working with the EVAs – the clones of the first and second angels. Besides," he added with a shrug, "the soldiers were instructed to use non-lethal force."

"Well, it's all over now," Kensuke said levelly, "the soldiers will never get past the Bakelite, Unit 04 is destroyed… and you've got nowhere to go. Why not just give it up?"

"It's not over," Kaji said with a sad smile, "I've still got the originals."

"You wouldn't…" the Section Two agent breathed, stunned.

"I don't have a choice," the other man replied reluctantly, "that's why I took her with me. I knew that if the merger of the two Units failed, I would have to do it with the real thing."

"I'm not going to let you," Kensuke said flatly, bringing his gun back up, "even if… even if I have to shoot her, I won't let you go through with this madness!"

Kaji smiled. "Well," he said quietly, "I don't think it'll come to all that…"

Kensuke opened his mouth to ask what Kaji meant, but it became obvious as the pony-tailed man abruptly stuck his right hand out, revealing a small tazer and pulling the trigger before Kensuke could react.

As the younger man's unconscious body hit the ground, Kaji discarded the weapon. "Sorry about that," he whispered, "but really, this is the only way…" He walked over and kicked Kensuke's gun, sending it skittering across the floor and off the edge.

Sighing, Kaji looked down at the Section Two agent. "I doubt you'll ever be able to forgive me for what I'm going to do. I know you love her… but after this, you'll never be away from her again…"

He walked back to Rei's still form and knelt. –You can understand, can't you?- he thought, -You wanted instrumentality too… of course, you never _quite_ understood what it meant…-

Shaking his head, he frowned. "Then again… I never _let_ you understand exactly what it was," he said softly, "I doubt you would have approved…"

Kaji laid his hand on Rei's breast, feeling power leap from his palm. "Sorry…" he whispered again.

As he began to push forward, a small voice spoke behind him.

"Daddy?"

Slowly, he turned around, thinking he must be hearing things… but there was Reiko, her clothes showing a few rips and bearing a long smudge of dirt on her cheek – but unmistakably his little girl.

"Why are you touching Aunt Rei like that?" Reiko asked softly.

"Indeed," Misato said, stepping around in front of her daughter, "do tell us, honey." She motioned for Reiko to get behind her, but the little girl simply stared at her father, as if she was trying to puzzle it out.

"It's… complicated, honey…" Kaji said, noticing that his wife was holding her service pistol at her side.

"Is she sick?" Reiko asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No," Misato said quietly, looking from the unconscious form of Kensuke Aida up to the huge being on the cross, "she's not sick, baby…"

"Honey," Kaji said, licking his lips absently, "Daddy's trying to do something… something that will make all of our lives better… can you understand that?"

Reiko walked up to him, blissfully unaware of the immense power in his hand, and embraced him. "I like our lives," she said happily, "I like it best when you and Mommy and Shinji and me all eat dinner together…"

Misato watched her husband's eyes widen as their daughter went on.

"I like it when you come home and kiss Mommy… and I like it when you're a bear and chase Mommy around the house…" she pulled away, smiling at him as she added, "but I know you're not really a bear… it's all pretend…"

"You hear that honey?" Misato asked softly, her hand opening and allowing the gun to clatter to the floor, "Reiko thinks you're not really a bear… is she right?"

He looked from her face to the gun lying on the floor. "I don't know anymore, honey…" he whispered, "maybe I am…"

"You don't have to be," the purple-haired woman said gently, "it's not too late…"

"You don't understand!" he shouted, startling the girl still clinging to his side, "Mankind is doomed if I don't do this! We'll never get any better! We'll never climb higher than this!"

Misato met his eyes levelly. "Is what we have so bad?" she asked, "Your daughter seems to be happy… what more could you _possibly_ want?"

"A future…" he replied, "I want it better for her than it was for us…"

Abruptly, Reiko began to cry, finally getting past the shock of hearing her father shouting.

Misato walked over and knelt by them, pulling the little girl into her arms. "You want a better future for her?" she asked quietly, stroking the girl's hair gently, "Then be there to share it with her – with us. That's all we want, honey… not all this," she gestured from Rei to the creature on the cross, struggling to find the right word, "nonsense."

She closed her eyes, embracing her daughter tightly. "I know I can't stop you – I read the SEELE documents, too… all you have to do is lean forward and it's over, but think about it. Think about our daughter – all she wants is her Daddy, honey… that's all."

Kaji looked down at the pale girl lying on the floor, struggling with his desire to do what he felt he must… and the longing to see his daughter happy.

"D-daddy?" Reiko said, wiping her eyes and pulling away from her mother, "Can we go home now?"

Looking into her dirt-smudged, beautiful face, Kaji knew what he needed to do.

"Of course…" he whispered quietly, pulling his hand away from Rei's chest and resting it carefully on the floor. "Honey?" he asked quietly, "Take Reiko home, ok? I'll give the troops the order to pull back…"

"Come with us," Misato said, rising to her feet and holding out her hand.

"I have… something I have to do," he said, "Adam is still here… I have to make sure this ends now…"

She paled as he looked from his hand to the wall, where a fire ax was hanging by two pegs. "I'll… send a medical team," she said, feeling sick, "give me five minutes." She wished with all of her heart that there was another way… but she knew the temptation would grow the longer he was bound to the angel.

"Take Rei…" he replied, unable to meet his wife's eyes, "there's a spare set of clothes in her office…"

Misato nodded and took off her jacket, laying it over the unconscious Commander and picking her up off the floor. "We'll visit you in the hospital," she said quietly, "I love you, honey…"

He swallowed. "I love you too…" he replied, knowing he didn't deserve it, "Reiko… go with your Mommy… I'll see you soon…"

The little girl nodded and followed her mother, looking back in confusion as her father stood and took the ax off the wall. "What's Daddy doing?" she asked curiously as he knelt on the floor, smiling at her as they opened the door.

"Daddy's gotta do something," Misato whispered, her voice hoarse, "we'll see him later. Come on…"

Kaji let out a ragged sigh as the door slid shut, and he looked up at the crucified angel. "Sorry," he said quietly to the silent behemoth, "believe me… this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you…"

He let out a small chuckle at his little joke, then sobered. Silently he took off his belt, making a makeshift tourniquet and pulling it tight on his right forearm. 

"I don't know if I can make up for all I've done," he said to himself, watching the seconds tick by on his watch, "but this is the only way I know how to start…"

After four and a half minutes had passed, he raised the ax with his left hand. –Let's hope you guys are on time,- he thought, smiling as he imagined them arriving too late… finding him dead from blood-loss. After all, a tourniquet can only do so much.

"No use putting it off," he mumbled, "if they get here before I do it, they might try and stop me…"

Even as the words left his lips, the door slid open, revealing a young paramedic with a medical kit. "Don't do it, sir!" the man cried.

-Time's up!- Kaji thought.

As he swung the ax down, he offered a small, whispered plea to God… asking only that he be allowed to see his daughter again…

**

Rei's eyes slowly opened, and she sat up quickly, clutching her head as the rapid movement made it pound.

"What… happened…?" she whispered, trying to recall what had occurred after she had pulled the lever, sending Sandelphon to her death.

"Everything's ok now," Kensuke's gentle voice said from her side, "it's all over…"

"Kaji?" Rei whispered, remembering the brief flare of pain and the swift fall into unconsciousness.

"He's in another room," her lover said, putting his hand over hers, "he was injured, and… he's in custody pending a full investigation."

"I see…" Rei said, leaning back in her bed and focussing on Kensuke's face, "what happened?"

Kensuke sighed and outlined the attack to her, filling in the details he hadn't witnessed with the information Shinji, Asuka, and Misato had given him on the command deck.

"So… Adam…" the Commander whispered, "gone." She sighed, looking out the hospital room window, "We have lost, then…"

"No," Kensuke corrected her, squeezing her hand, "we won." She tried to protest that he didn't understand, but he cut her off. "Do you love me?" he asked quietly.

She looked into his eyes for a long moment before nodding.

"Do you need more than that?"

"Kensuke… I…"

"Rei, listen," he said levelly, "I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that love conquers all… I've never been quite that sappy…" he smiled, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it gently, "but it _is_ a good start. The human race is doing ok… sure, we might not ever get better as a species – but we can use what we have to be happy. There's no reason to be greedy…"

"But Kensuke," she said quietly, "there will always be war… and sadness… and-"

"Yes," he cut her off softly, "but all those things… all those hardships… they make the good parts that much better. If you hadn't had that bad… ummm… first time," he blushed, wishing there were better words to describe what he meant, "would it have been as good when we… when…" he trailed off.

She considered this for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak, but he hurried on before she could.

"What I'm saying is that you can't have the good without the bad," he said, holding her eyes with his, "if you never saw a rainstorm… every sunny day would be just like the last, and you would never appreciate it's beauty." He slowly leaned forward and kissed her, "Besides… you can have fun on a rainy day too," he whispered gently, "things aren't as bad as you think…"

Rei smiled, bringing his hand up and kissing it as he had kissed hers. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I love you Rei," he said seriously.

"I love you too, Kensuke…" she replied, "but I am still not sure that-"

"Shhh…" he interrupted, "sometimes you shouldn't say anything… remember?"

She smiled and nodded. –I am still not sure we won,- she finished mentally, -but the way you look at me… I am willing to pretend…-

Nothing more was said, and Rei finally closed her eyes and drifted off again, her body still working off the effects of the tranquilizer. Kensuke watched her sleep, wondering if she would ever see how good life could be… how the right word, or a simple smile, or the loving look in someone else's eyes could take you higher than Heaven.

Outside, a light rain began to fall, cleansing the Earth with its gentle touch… wiping away the dirt and dust that built up in any big city, and reminding the people that lived there that life _was_ worth living. Because no matter how hard it rains, no matter how dark the night grows… no matter how bleak things look – the sun will always come back out…

Always…

The End

Author's notes: well, there you have it. I'm still toying with an epilogue, but I haven't decided for sure… I think the ending stands pretty well on its own. Why have Kaji turn out that way? Well… having children changes a person, not always for the better. Like he said, the more he read SEELE's documents, the more he became convinced that mankind was doomed… and the thought of his little girl suffering any hardship was more than he could take. He _did_ redeem himself in the end, though, so at least it wasn't all dark.

Technical notes: this story was begun on approximately January 14, 2002, and completed on about February 13, 2002. It weighs in at approximately 73,850 words, equaling about 230 pages. These totals include all four lemon side-stories and the epilogue, and takes into account all disclaimer information, notes, and pre-reader thanks.

Huge thanks to my sole pre-reader, Ryoma. It's been a wild ride, hasn't it? Thanks for seeing me though it and keeping me on track, I owe you one. ^_^

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


	19. Epilogue: Restart, 2022

Disclaimer: see part 1

Chain of Command

Epilogue

Restart, 2022

By Random1377

"Honey… it's your turn…"

Shinji groaned as his placid dream was torn into small fragments. "Didn't I get up last night?" he asked, trying to pull the covers up over his head.

"Yeah," Asuka said tiredly, "but it's your turn again…"

"Why?" the brown-haired man demanded sullenly.

"Because you love me…"

With a deep sigh, Shinji threw the covers back. "Fine…" he sighed, "but I'm taking a nap later in the day – and that's the _last _time you get to use that one!"

Asuka made no reply, which was hardly a shock, since she had already fallen back to sleep.

Shinji got out of bed and headed to the nursery. "Hey," he whispered gently, "what are you two fussing about?"

His twin daughters refused to indicate what had caused them to erupt into the high-pitched screaming they were currently engaged in, and really, how could they? Three-month-old children weren't very good at communications skills.

"I doubt they'll tell you," Misato said with a yawn, as she came into the room, tying up her robe, "you get Aya… I'll get Ruri…"

"Thanks," Shinji said, pathetically grateful.

Asuka's pregnancy had been surprisingly easy on the redhead… though not on her husband. She had had peculiar cravings, and was not lenient on Shinji when it came to demanding whatever the growing children demanded.

__

"I don't care if it's two AM… the babies want ham salad!!"

"Why isn't your hair gray?" Shinji asked, laying the still-squawking child down for a diaper check, "I think mine's already starting to turn…"

Misato grinned, cradling the younger of the twins (by a whole three minutes) against her chest. "I dye it," she said with a wink.

"I should have known," Shinji grumbled, finding that there was, in fact, more in the diaper than just his child.

He changed the girl with a deep scowl on his face. –My turn again…- he thought darkly, -fourth time this week…-

"How can you look so mad?" Misato asked softly, smiling at the small bundle in her arms, "Look at those eyes!" she said, "She's not doing it on purpose…"

Shinji smiled. "I know…" he said, lifting Aya into his arms, "just tired…"

They rocked the children in silence for a few minutes, managing to get them back to sleep and laying them down in their cribs.

As they slipped out, Misato commented, "I'm still surprised you chose those names… I thought you would name one of them after each of your mothers."

"We almost did," Shinji admitted, "but we ended up deciding that they should have their own identities… ones that don't have anything to do with EVA…"

The purple-haired woman nodded. "That makes sense," she said, "we're still trying to figure out what to name this one…"

Shinji grinned as she ran her hand over her stomach. "You've still got five months to worry about it," he pointed out, "and if you're hard up, you could always name it Shinji."

Misato laughed. "One Shinji is enough for me, thanks…" she pulled him into her arms, kissing his cheek softly, "Asuka's very lucky."

Shinji blushed, changing the subject. "We should probably keep it down," he said, "we'll wake Reiko…"

"Nah," Misato said, keeping him close to her, "she was up until midnight… she's out."

Misato and Reiko had only been in town for two weeks, and they were slated to stay for another six. But to Shinji it felt like they had been there forever, and were about to leave.

"Thanks for coming," he sighed, letting the purple-haired woman lead him to the kitchen.

"Of course," Misato replied, "I'm sorry we couldn't make it to the birth…"

The former Third Child nodded. When the twins were born, Kaji's trial had still been in deliberation. His lawyer had argued that, even though he had been responsible for frightening a great number of people, he had ultimately caused no bodily harm.

The prosecution had contended that it was an act of terrorism – and successful or not, the fact remains that he _did_ try to (for lack of a better term) kill everyone on earth.

The trial had been lengthy, with many twists and turns… and it had finally ended a month prior, with Kaji been relegated to NERV's custody – at the request of their commanding officer, who had pointed out that she was the one most harmed in the attack.

When Misato had asked what Rei was going to do with her husband, the blue-haired girl had smiled and shook her head.

__

"I have no idea, major. I do not believe I can allow him to simply be set free… but I cannot allow him to be placed in a normal prison, either…"

Ultimately, Rei had placed her former advisor in a holding cell in NERV, allowing his wife and child to visit him.

"Has Kaji's punishment been decided on?" Shinji asked, "I heard Hines was asking for life in prison, and quit when Rei refused."

Misato sighed. "She hasn't decided yet," she said, "but I hope she's lenient… I want him around for the baby… and me." She looked into Shinji's dark blue eyes, "Is that selfish?"

"No," he said soothingly, "it's not…"

Misato rested her head against his shoulder as he embraced her. "She said she would decide before she turned in her resignation," she said sadly, "but that's not for a month, and I-"

"Are you putting the moves on my husband?" Asuka asked, yawning as if she truly did not care, "You could at least do it in the guest room so I don't have to see it…" she frowned, "you're blocking the fridge… move it."

"That's sick," Misato said, sticking out her tongue, "he's my son!"

"Only by law," Asuka said, pausing for another, deeper yawn, "I've seen you looking at his ass."

"Ewwwww!!!" Misato cried, "No no no no no!! Ugh!!"

Shinji sighed as Asuka embraced him from behind.

"You know you want him," the redhead teased, "he's good, too. Sometimes, he gets my legs in just the right position, and-"

"Gahh!!" the purple-haired woman gasped, "Shut up!! I need to bathe…"

-This is how it all ends…- Shinji thought, closing his eyes as the two women continued to banter back and forth, -not with a bang, not with a whimper… but with laughter…-

That something was ending, he had no doubt… he just wasn't sure what. The war had been over for a year, and they had been living in France for ten months – first in Mira's rather sizable house, and then in the one they had bought for themselves using NERV's severance money and bonuses.

-Maybe it's me that's ending,- he thought, startled by the depth of the concept, -the old me… the scared me…- he smiled softly, thinking that was probably ok.

"What's so funny?" Misato asked, catching the grin on her son's face.

"Just happy…" he whispered putting one arm around her and reaching back to pull Asuka closer to him with the other.

The two women smiled at each other, and silence fell on the trio.

After a moment, Asuka gently turned Shinji around to face her. "This is how it should be," she said gently, smiling as Misato nodded, leaning her head on his back.

Shinji blinked, "What do you-"

"Shhh…" Asuka admonished with a gentle smile, laying a finger against his lips, "you'll wake the children…"

They stayed that way for over two hours, just enjoying the calm togetherness, until a quiet knock at the front door forced them to part. When they opened it, there was too much joy to be contained at the sight of who was waiting on the doorstep… and the children _were_ awakened…

But this time, no one seemed to mind…

**

Rei opened the door to the meeting room in the UN's Tokyo-3 building and stepped in, looking up at the disapproving faces of the most powerful men in the world.

"You are not in uniform," the head of the UN pointed out, with a frown, "do I need to remind you that this is a very important meeting?"

"I am no longer an employee of NERV," Rei stated quietly, "my presence here is only a courtesy, to inform you of my decision to retire. As my last act as Commander, I am formally requesting that NERV be dissolved."

The room was instantly taken with pandemonium.

"Miss Ayanami!" the council head said disapprovingly, as soon as the initial clamor had quieted, "NERV is a very important organizat-"

"No," the ex-commander said calmly, cutting him off. She raised a hand as he began to protest, waiting until he fell silent before speaking.

"NERV is no longer necessary…" she said plainly, "the angels are gone, the Evangelions are all destroyed, and our top researchers have left. NERV is no more, gentlemen."

"What you say is not all true," the council head retorted, "Unit 09 is still functional, Misses Ibuki is still in Tokyo-3, and there is the matter of Ryouji Kaji to be dealt with."

Rei met his stern gaze levelly. "Misses Ibuki has announced her desire to leave Tokyo-3," she said calmly, "she and her husband will be travelling with me and my companion, Mister Aida. As for Mister Kaji, and Unit 09…" a faint smile appeared on her lips, "Unit 09 has been destroyed, and Mister Kaji has been released from custody for fifty hours now. My guess is that he is already with his wife and child."

"Y-you had _NO_ authority to take those actions!!" the man exploded, "Mister Kaji-"

"Was under my direct custody," the former First Child cut in, "the courts decided his punishment was in my hands. It was my feeling that the loss of his right hand and his order to pull his hired troops back voluntarily more than compensates for his actions. As for Unit 09, it was under the sole jurisdiction of NERV, and was deemed to be an overly-expensive relic with no practical application." She smiled faintly, "The pilot was most pleased to be the one to detonate the Unit."

"No practical application?!?" the head of the UN shouted, "Do you know what that thing could do in a land war, Miss-"

"Yes," Rei interjected, fixing him with her cool, crimson gaze, "and that is why it was neutralized. The angels are gone, gentlemen… NERV's job is done."

"So what, then?" the head of the join chiefs asked, "You're just going to let it go? Give it all up? What do you plan on doing?" he asked with a derisive snort, "Hide under a rock and die?"

"No," the blue-haired girl replied with a smile, "I plan on living…"

With that, she turned and strode from the meeting room, ignoring the angry shouts that followed her.

"How did it go?" Kensuke asked, rising from the bench where he had been waiting for her… but keeping his hand within easy reach of the pistol he was carrying.

He didn't trust this place, and the further they got from it the happier he would be.

Rei shrugged. "It is done," she said calmly, taking his hand in hers, "I would like to leave now, Kensuke…"

Kensuke smiled and nodded. "Ok, honey…" he whispered, kissing her gently, "do you want to go visit Shinji and Asuka? I'll bet everyone's there by now…"

He had gotten word from Shinji that all of the pilots would be stopping in when they could to see the children… and had happily accepted the other man's offer to come see them himself, and bring Rei with, as soon as possible.

__

"Touji and Hikari are in America right now, but they said they'd visit in a month or so… you should try to come then."

"Yes," Rei said as they headed for the door, "then I would like to find a place for us…"

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by the odd tone in her voice.

Rei smiled, "I mean a place where you and I…" she stopped walking, flushing faintly, "can be together… always…"

"What exactly are you saying, Rei?" Kensuke grinned, "Should I be looking for a best man?"

Rei said nothing, but as she continued walking Kensuke noticed that her smile stayed in place… and that her free hand was holding a small, velvet box.

"Yes…" whispered, turning to face her as the reached the door, "I will…"

She smiled. "I have not asked yet," she replied, slipping her arms around his waist, "but since you've already given me your answer..." she leaned up and kissed him softly.

-Guess I should cancel the dinner reservations,- he thought wryly, amused that she had proposed less than six hours before he had planned to, -but at least I already have her ring…-

"Let's go," she said as they parted, pushing the door open and stepping out into the bright world outside, "we have much to do…"

And so it was that in the year of Our Lord, two thousand twenty-two, the Children of EVA were finally able to put the past behind them and make peace with themselves, moving towards the bright and shining future that awaited them all.

And never once looking back…

The End

Author's notes: ok, _now_ Chain of Command is complete. Obviously this epilogue isn't really necessary… but it made me feel all warm and tingly to write it :P I love hearing how everyone ends up after the curtain goes down… ^_^

Thanks to Ryoma for pre-reading _another_ chapter. And you thought it was all done… heheh. Thanks for the twins idea! And by the way, the Ikaris hate you ^_~

Feedback is always welcome at random1377@yahoo.com


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